The Karoo Center for Training and Education

1. The Karoo Center for Training and Education A Proposal for an Artisan FET College, Adult Skills & Job Resource Center in the Northern Cape

2. Contents • Committee membership • Area introduction • Meeting the needs of the community • Vision, Mission, Values • Strengths and weaknesses • Strategic Goals • Networking • Implementation • Moving Forward

3. Committee Membership Extended committee: • Mr. Roderick Adams (municipality staff) • Mr. Willem de Bruin (community member) • Ms. Fiona Cupido (community member) • Mr. Zolile Dingile (municipal manager) • Ms. Maurine Gellvear (community member) • Ms. Esau Hoorn (community member) • Mr. Martonio Ockhuis (municipality staff) • Mr. Cristo Prins (high school principle) • Mr. Peter Sawall (community member) • Erik van Heerden (Dutch reformed church pastor) Core committee: • Dr. Debra Shepherd, project director (MeerKAT project scientist, project manager) • Mr. Bennie Hoorn (primary school principle) • Mr. Robert Katsen (high school technical teacher) • Mr. Quinton Liebenberg (AME church pastor, IT project manager) • Ms. Vanessa Pheiffer, local coordinator (primary school teacher) • Dr. Sakkie Potgieter (Uniting reformed church pastor) Community members being kept informed of project progress: • Mayors & Municipal Managers of Ubuntu, Emthanjeni, Hantam & Kareeberg Municipalities • Mr. Sindisile Madyo, Local Economic Development manager of Pixley ka Seme district

4. Towns & Municipalities of the Northern Cape (Kimberley) Kenhardt Prieska (Siyathemba) 194 km 139 km 153 km Hopetown (Thembelihle) 166 km 145 km 142 km 185 km 293 km Brandvlei 240 km Vosburg Britstown 133 km De Aar (Emthanjeni) 66 km 55 km Carnarvon (Kareeberg) Loeriesfontein 130 km 98 km 116 km 86 km 70 km 145 km Williston Victoria West (Ubuntu) Loxton 90 km 129 km 98 km Calvinia (Hantam) N 1 109 km 117 km 160 km Fraserburg (Karoo Hoogland) 113 km Sutherland Beaufort West

5. Northern Cape FET Campuses relative to Carnarvon NCRFET (Kuruman) NCRFET (Kathu) NCRFET (Upington) NCUFET (Kimberley & Moremogolo) NCRFET (Okiep) NCRFET (de Aar) Carnarvon Beaufort West

6. Population (2001 Census)

7. Highest Level of Education in Households Reference: 2010, University of the Free State, “Socio-Economic Follow-up Study: Carnarvon & Williston” Overall, the school system in under severe pressure with a high drop-out rate and high levels of absenteeism in classes. This “low level of education is a serious impediment to economic development and job creation” in the area.

8. FET College Campuses Near Carnarvon • Northern Cape Urban FET College: (445 km from Carnarvon) • Kimberly City Center - Business & Engineering Studies, (e.g., IT, Finance, Office Admin, Tourism, Civil Engineering, Electrical Infrastructure, Engineering & Related Design) • Moremogolo Campus - Business & engineering Studies (e.g., Civil engineering, Bookkeeping, Computer Skills, Communication, Dressmaking, Entrepreneural skills, English conversation, Business fundamentals) & Skills classes (e.g., brick laying, carpentry, electrical, hospitality, plumbing, welding, upholstery) • Northern Cape Rural FET College - closest campus: De Aar (220 km from Carnarvon) • Finance, economics & accounting, Engineering & related design (includes fitting & turning, auto repair), IT & Computer skills, Management, Hospitality, Marketing, Tourism (e.g., hotels & game reserves) • Beaufort West (187 km from Carnarvon) • Office administration, Building & civil construction, Electrical infrastructure construction, Skills (e.g., brick laying, carpentry, plumbing, electrical assistant, welding, chef/kitchen cleaner, restaurant, public cleaner, receptionist, hairdressing, beekeeping)

9. Current Employment in the Northern Cape • Farm workers • Shop / store / small business staff • Grocery, beautician, restaurant, butchery, bakery, dry goods, hardware, alcohol • Gas station, garage/vehicle repair • Accommodation • Business services • Marketing, insurance, auditing, banking

10. Job Growth Potential in the Area • Square Kilometer Array (SKA) - SA • Now: 120 people needed in 2011/2012, minimum of 17 local people: 2 steel erector, 2 welding, 6 masonry, 3 carpentry, 3 electrical, 1 plumber (2012: would be ideal to hire these skilled laborers as teaching assistants, mentors & to host apprentices) • Visitor Center (late 2011?): director, 2 staff, 6 part time students • MeerKAT construction, operations & maintenance (> 2012): > 100 skilled technicians & artisans will be needed • SKA - if the bid is awarded to SA, construction, operations & maintenance expected to increase to > 1000’s. • Tourism increase expected (~500/yr to > 10,000/yr in 10 years) => large increase in jobs for hospitality workers, shop workers, service sector employees, tour guides. Entrepreneurial opportunities expected to increase steadily. • Housing initiative to build 100+ houses in Carnarvon • Renewable energy opportunities possible: Wind power generator (Chinese firm) and solar array power generator. • Possible development of an FET college in Carnarvon - requires administrative, teaching, operations & maintenance staff.

11. Meeting the Needs of the Community • Hopelessness due to lack of jobs & opportunities the biggest problem. Yet job potential is expected to increase dramatically over the next 10 years. Lack of education and experience will be the single, largest factor limiting the ability to draw the workforce from the local population. • Assuming Carnarvon, Williston, Victoria West education statistics are representative of the towns in the area, once learners make it past grade 9, they generally matric. 71-77% have less than grade 9 level schooling; only 21-27% matric. Spring board needed to university. • Minimum entrance level for an FET college is often only grade 9 level. Only ~ 25% of the people would be eligible to attend. An adult education center is needed to accept students with less than grade 9 qualifications. • Within the next 10 years, opportunities for new businesses are expected to be good. But this also implies a dynamic and rapidly changing job market. A job preparation & resource center (similar to the Zanokhanyo job center in Pinelands/Cape Town) and an apprentice/ mentorship program will be critical to ensure that new graduates can take advantage of the job market and gain the skills they need to be successful in the long run.

12. Meeting the Needs of the Community Adult Skills Education Center FET College FET college: • Electrical, Fibre Optic & Mechanical Technician • Renewable Energy & water management • Maths & Science Teacher • Computers & Business Admin • University prep: basic math, literacy & communication skills Job Resource Center and Mentorship Program Housing & Support Infrastructure Adult Skills Education Center: • Civil engineering, Masonry, Carpentry, Electrical, Plumbing, Welding • Child care & development, Strategic intervention program: HIV/AIDS • Farm maintenance skills • Entrepreneurial endeavors, tourism & hospitality Job Resource Center & Mentorship Program (using the Zanokhanyo model): • How to be a good employee (2 week course), job search strategies, computer resource lab, apprentice placement program, mentorship & support network. Establish a bridge to university study for students willing to work hard to overcome initial disadvantages. Infrastructure, Housing & Support: • Administration, hostel, dining facility, book store, child care center, etc

13. Vision To become a dynamic education hub for the Northern Cape focusing on education excellence and community service

14. Mission • Provide quality education that will enable economic independence and social responsibility in an environment dedicated to restoring the dignity and self-respect of South Africans of all backgrounds, races and economic levels. • Build collaborations with industry in the Northern Cape to provide a workforce with skills and training matched to their needs. • Bridge the gap between high school and university

15. Values • Professional & academic excellence • Social responsibility • Economic independence • Moral & spiritual values Cornerstones: Dedicated to the development of the whole person, the whole school, the whole community. Providing an environment in which high expectations embrace equality & respect. An environment that supports positive social, emotional & spiritual needs of each individual.

16. Key Strengths & Weaknesses • Strengths: • Central location in the Northern Karoo. • Motivated and dedicated committee willing to serve the community and engage them to become a part of the solution. • Project management and connections gained via the SKA project. • Understanding of critical needs of Higher education: • Sound, financially sustainable student recruitment, selection & enrollment planning • Partnering with commerce & industry for the benefit of the students • Fostering an increase in lecturer capacity through a stable teaching core with established accountability, expectations and teaching support; all designed to build teaching excellence and keep student throughput high • Weaknesses: • Lack of experience in building a college and developing a funding base. • Relatively small town with little infrastructure to draw from. • Potential learner base is starting out with a very low average education level and income level.

17. Addressing Our Weaknesses • Lack of Experience: Current focus is on developing experience within the KCTE committee. Build collaborations with other educational institutions who have successful graduates and who have been successful in establishing a solid funding base. Be willing to change strategy as experience shows a better solution. • Infrastructure: Develop a solid planning and implementation strategy which seeks to build the infrastructure and potential of the town as the school develops. Keep the towns involved and engaged in the planning decisions. • Small town: Develop a strong community within KCTE and between the KCTE and town that will provide for basic needs (food, housing, child support) of learners while supporting emotional, social and spiritual needs. • Education Base: Include an adult skills education center and job readiness program with high priority. Collaborate with the primary and high schools in the area to improve the entrance education levels of learners. Be flexible and willing to change priorities as the level of education increases. • Family Income Base: Work with industry & government to provide full scholarships for learners. Grass roots development with the community, allowing them to define & become a part of the solution, not work against it.

18. Strategic Goals • Proposed Goal: each year have 5% of the people between ages 15 and 35 enrolled (2,000 learners/year). • ~ 40,000 people between the ages of 15 and 35 within about 250 km of Carnarvon. Some can be served by Kimberly, Beaufort West and De Aar FET colleges and skills center but not all. • Unique focus on high tech support, entrepreneurial endeavors, teacher training, renewable energy & Northern Cape tourism (e.g., astronomy, flowers, Karoo expanse). • Strong focus on adult skills training for people with less than 9th grade education without compromising higher education goals. • Design financially sustainable infrastructure, student enrollment and bursary support to allow learners from Carnarvon & surrounding towns to attend with full scholarships. • Dedicated follow-through: Offer full qualifications to students; provide post-graduation mentoring in the workforce and provide clear paths into university studies for promising students

19. Red: initial collaboration or discussions established. Blue: research indicates good collaboration potential. Networking ( ) • Pursue collaborative agreements with educational institutions, industries: • Cape Town Leap School, Carnarvon, Williston & other high schools • South Cape College, Northern Cape Urban (Kimberly) FET College, TSiBA College, False Bay College, Northern Cape Rural FET College • Zanokhanyo job training center • Local Farm Workers Association • Open Africa (tourism & entrepreneurial networking) • SKA project & visitor Center • Other industries with Corporate Social Investiment (CSI) programs: Woolworths, Petrol (Engen, Shell, BP & Caltex), Spar (grocery support) & PEP stores, ABSA& Standard Banks, Insurance Companies (Old Mutual, Sanlam, Santam, Metropolitian Life), Coke • Oprah Winfrey foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates foundation • Pursue good relations with: • Department of Labor (Calvinia) • Department of Education (de Aar) • Northern Cape & Cape Town churches

20. Implementation Plan Initial class proposal to support existing job opportunities & basic needs: • FET college: • Electrical & mechanical technician, renewable energy & water management. • Basic computers, math, literacy and communication skills • Expand to fibre optic technician, teacher training and business administration in future. • Adult Skills Center: • Technical skills, rotation in: masonry, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, farm maintenance, basic computing. • Child care & development, HIV/AIDS education. • Expand to tourism & hospitality, entrepreneurial endeavors in future. • Job Resource Center: • Job readiness & search strategies. • Develop mentorship & support network. • Guide gifted students to New Venture Creation program in Kimberly Moremogolo FET college to learn how to start new businesses. • Expand to apprentice program in future

21. Implementation Plan Departments needed: • Governing board representing major stakeholders • Administration & Finance • Counseling & Human Resources • Lecturer staff • Community support & activities staff • Building and Infrastructure development transitioning to Maintenance • Hostel, food services, child care facility • Book store/shop • Sports center

22. Moving Forward Immediate plan of action: • Engage with the community to develop a mutual understanding of community needs and how best to serve those needs • Define scope and class offering realistically matched to resources and industry & commerce needs • Research & identify collaboration possibilities • Understand leverage we can offer to Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programs • Establish accountability & measures of success • Develop estimated budget • Define accreditation and student qualifications process • Fill in missing pieces (due to inexperience) • Write and submit proposal to funding agencies Ensure a long term vision (10 year plan) in scope: • Evolve into a 2-4 year college, becoming the Northern Cape’s first university