Pioneering youth

Youth matters

The South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) has finally accredited the Department of Social Development’s youth training and education programme. Masupa-Tsela Youth Pioneer Programme is now an official further education and training qualification.

 “We are very happy and encouraged that Masupa-Tsela Youth Pioneer programme is finally accredited, especially after it was stopped for the whole of this year due to non-accreditation. It is now a fully fledged nationally recognised further education certificate course,” said the Masupa-Tsela National Project Manager Mr Ephraim Kgosana.

Mr Kgosana indicated that the accreditation of the training programme would assist the Department and the ETDP Seta to confer proper further education and training certificates to last year’s intake of about 2 000 learners. These learners received only attendance certificates at completion of the course last year.

Community Development

The programme is accredited on NQF Level 4 as a Further Education and Training Certificate in Community Development. On completion, the certificate will allow learners to work as Community Development Practitioners and Early Childhood Development Practitioners.

However, learners will require level five and six to gain admission to study social sciences or community development related qualifications at the Technikons and Universities, respectively. Learners will receive a scholarship and a R1 500 monthly stipend for the duration of their training and service.

Patriotism

Recruitment for the next group will be conducted next year between January and February, according to Mr Kgosana. “The course will resume next year and it will be offered for a period of one year and six months,” he explained, adding that the department aims to train 14 150 youth by the end of 2015.

The Masupa-Tsela Youth Pioneer Programme is a multi-sectoral initiative based on the Cuban Social Work and Jose Marti Pioneer Programmes. The programme seeks to instil a sense of patriotism in learners and train youth to be social activists of change.