Great start to 2016

The much appreciated December vacation was soon forgotten, as we opened our doors this year to receive an influx of learners signing up for all our courses. Admin Assistant, Annemarie Cupido, had to keep her wits about her as she registered learners, prepared manuals and handled all kinds of queries from staff and visitors alike!

Kicking off with a full classes for all our courses has been such a blessing – something we would have battled to cope with without the added blessing of 2 new interns who now form part of the staff team. Both interns completed the Office Basics training last year.

Nonka Dube has been appointed as a PC skills training intern, while Kaylin Afrikaner has been appointed as a Training Admin Intern, through our partnership with TrueSouth Actuaries. We are excited about growth opportunities that these internships will offer these ladies, while we are also thrilled to have their enthusiastic, teachable and competent hands to help us cope with the rich blessing of greater numbers of trainees.

We are grateful that Nonka and Kaylin received a “baptism of cool and gentle water” with our first group of Job Readiness learners – a group of friendly, generous-hearted and eager to learn young people, who said the following on completion of their training:

Karen Borrins     2016/05/02         I am going to do what I learnt here and to improve things in my life. To walk out here with a positive mind and to take action in doing things.  I learnt so much of relationships –  how to handle it in a work place and anywhere.”      

Lesley-Ann Klaassen       2016/05/02         “It brought me more closer to God. I feel more connected to him. I now know that he is my daily bread. The training helped build my self-confidence. I have more faith in myself now. It will help me to find a job and do my best,”

Apart from the popular Job Readiness Programme, we are seeing an increased demand for Frail Care course.

11 learners signed up for the Frail Care Course in January – a huge leap from the small group of 4 learners who completed the first Frail Care course run by us last quarter. Trainer, Deliane Nel, is delighted with the level of commitment that this group of learners has been demonstrating.

The first week of training included The Ethics of Caring, providing the learners with a taste of the level of learning and commitment that is going to be required in order to be successful. Weekly visits to local frail care
institutions provides learners with opportunities to practice procedures covered during each module.

The Office Basics course remains a popular course as candidates seek to improve their employment prospects. We are grateful to have Rhoda van Schalkwyk on board to address the English communication skills challenges that our learners need to overcome in order to find employment in Call Centres – which predominantly require effective English communication skills.

A group of 11 learners are currently doing this course, which
includes Call Centre training, Office Practice and intermediary PC skills training. Many opportunities are provided for the learners to practice the skills being trained as they are assigned Office Duties during the last session of each day. Duties include reception, outbound calling, printing, binding, filing and data capturing.

The Bake for Profit course also started off with a full class of 8 learners – ensuring maximum utilisation of the NG church kitchen facility and maximum capacity of Trainer, Anabela Beuke.

As this course is a baking business skills course, the learners are challenged to improve their baking skills, while implementing the business skills being taught weekly, by keeping records of their stock, sales and expenses. This is a difficult process for many, as the fantasy of running one’s own business is so much more romantic than the harsh reality of going out into the world to market and sell your products.
We are so grateful for the support of the donors and  volunteers who ensure that our learners are equipped with the necessary skills and importantly, the knowledge and experience of God’s love in action.

Please keep each learner, staff member and volunteer in your prayers as we seek to fulfill the mission that the Lord has placed on our hearts. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,’ Hebrews 10v24