Bursary office gives hope to Mpumalanga students

Young people in Mpumalanga have a new avenue to access bursaries, learnerships and internships.

The Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority (EDTP-SETA) has opened an office in Mbombela to make it easier for them to apply for funding.

Nombulelo Nxesi, chief executive of the EDTP-SETA, said the youth should take advantage of the office and use it to apply for bursaries, internships and learnerships to “better their lives and those of their communities”.

“The government has provided opportunities for you to fight poverty because our aim is for you to be employable and also open your own businesses,” said Nxesi.

A range of bursaries focusing on scarce skills is available for either Further Education and Training colleges or universities.

According to Nxesi, the EDTP-SETA has trained more than 5 000 young people around the country in the past two years.

The EDTP-SETA bursaries provide opportunities for workers and unemployed learners in the education, training and development sector to gain qualifications in scarce and critical skills in both intermediate and higher levels.

Bursaries are available in the following programmes:

• National Professional Diploma in Education (NPDE).
• Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
• B.Ed Mathematics and Science.
• B.Ed Foundation Phase.
• Certificate in Education.
• B. Com; Applied Mathematics.
• Masters in Commerce.
• ACE in Leadership and Management.
• Computer Studies.
• Human Resource Management and Public Finance.

According to the ETDP-SETA website, selection criteria include the following:

• The applicant’s academic ability.
• Eligibility for an approved degree or PGCE in one of the priority areas.
• Commitment to a teaching career, which includes interest in working with young people; enthusiasm for a professional career in teaching; readiness to face and overcome difficult challenges and personal integrity.
• Commitment to teach in any school to which a student may be appointed by a provincial Education Department