Tag: KwaZulu-Natal

Wide Variety of Government Bursaries Available from KZN Province for Study in 2015

KZN 2015 Government Bursaries Available from KZN Province

KZN-logoStudents living in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) who want to get a tertiary qualification, but can’t afford to, now have the opportunity to get Government bursaries from the provincial administration. Funding is available only for public institutions and not for private institutions of higher learning. Applications opened on November 14th and they close on December 15th 2014.

Only students from “vulnerable groups” or previously disadvantaged backgrounds will be considered. Parents and/or guardians should not earn more than R60,000 per year if single. If both parents/guardians are working, then their total annual income should not be more than R120,000.

Disabled students are encouraged to apply for these bursaries, but all applicants must be aged between 18 and 35. All should be “high achievers”, and matriculants should have either a “CAO receipt” or a provisional letter of acceptance from the institution of higher learning where they plan to study.

KZN Province Bursary Opportunities for 2015

KZN_bursary_picThe bursary opportunities offered by KZN Province for Government bursaries are incredibly varied, and therefore in line with the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority’s (the EtdpSETA) vision to ensure that South Africa will ultimately have a much better educated and more informed workplace that has “valuable workplace experience and ethics”.

Further, bursaries are offered by a number of departments within the Province. A full list is included on the website, and includes the Departments of:

  • Office of The Premier that offers bursaries for students to study for a range of bachelor’s degrees or national diplomas including financial management, auditing, accounting, forestry, boiler making, aviation and metrology.
  • Agriculture and Rural Development that offers bursaries for students to study for a bachelor’s degree in agriculture (specifically a BSc in soil, crop and animal science), agriculture engineering (specifically a BSc in soil conservation, infrastructure and irrigation), or veterinary science (BVSc); or a national diploma (ND) in either animal health or to become a veterinary technologist.
  • Arts and Culture that offers bursaries for students to study for a range of bachelor’s degrees or national diplomas in African languages, drama, fine art, graphic design, jazz and popular music, jewellery design, performing and non-performing arts, practical music and public management.
  • Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs that offers bursaries for students to study for a range of quite different bachelor’s degrees or national diplomas including anthropology, built environment studies, photography/video technology or graphic design, civil/electrical engineering, town and regional planning, local economic development, local government law, local economic development, financial management, and even disaster management.
  • Human Settlements that offers bursaries for students to study for a range of bachelor’s degrees or national diplomas including property management, land surveying, quantity surveying, architecture, construction management, and civil engineering.
  • Provincial Treasury that offers bursaries for students to study for a bachelor’s degree majoring in accounting and economics; or a national diploma in financial management or cost and management accounting, and accounting.
  • Transport that offers bursaries for students to study for a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, transportation economics, or to become a technologist in civil or mechanical engineering; or for a national diploma in public transportation management.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to apply for admission to a tertiary institution and to the University’s residence if this is required.

How to Apply for KZN Government Bursaries

Application forms for these KZN bursaries are available from both the Department of Education and Operation Sukuma Sakhe district offices. Applications should also be submitted to one of these offices.

In addition to the application form that must obviously be filled out correctly, applicants must include a letter of motivation and several other documents, including:

  • A certified copy of their identity document
  • A certified copy of their parents’ or guardian’s identity document
  • A certified copy of their matriculation certificate
  • Proof of how much their parents or guardian(s) earn
  • Proof that they have either registered with, or been accepted by a public tertiary institution
  • Proof that their parents or guardians are unemployed – this must come from the Department of Labour
  • A certified copy of any household profiling certification (if the applicant has access to one of these)

The bursary covers all fees, accommodation and meals, prescribed books, and a stipend for the full period of study.

Successful bursars will contract with KZN Province for a length of time (in years) that is equivalent to the time period over which they will study at the tertiary institution. In addition, anyone holding a bursary may be required to work for the Province in the relevant Department for a period equivalent to the time period of the contract.

Application Forms are Available from the KZN Website

Details of application and a copy of application forms are available from its website.  APPLICATION FORM HERE

Six Bursary Options Now on Offer From RCL Foods in KZN

Food giant, RCL Foods in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, has six bursary options up for grabs this month. They are in the fields of marketing, finance, engineering and agriculture, and will give you the opportunity to get a job in these fields at RCL. Applications for all of these bursaries close on October 31.

The RCL Foods Bursary Scheme has been set up to create a “feeder pipeline” into the company’s Management Trainee Programme and it is a key element of their Talent Acquisition Strategy. RCL Foods Limited is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and incorporates a number of smaller Pty (Ltd) companies – Food Corp, Rainbow Farms, TSB Sugar RSA, and Vector Logistics. Their stated mission is to build a huge African food business that will create a value chain that is sustainable and offers “compelling” food brands. They boast a “one company” philosophy and have already achieved a market capitalization of more than R14-billion. They also employ more than 19,000 people.

The RCL Foods Bursary Scheme

RCL Foods has declared a commitment to its employees and their training, recognising that people are the most vital resource for the company and its continued growth.

The bursary scheme has been set up primarily to assist the children of permanent RCL Foods’ employees who want to get a recognised post-matriculation qualification. However they will also consider “CSI students” and “external bursars”, in terms of their equity policy. This states that the company will “promote from within wherever possible” and consider internal applicants before they review external candidates.

RCL Foods’ bursaries are available in all parts of the country and not just in KZN. They apply to several different Sector Training and Education Authorities (SETAs) including:

This makes the bursaries one of the best options for Grade 12 learners who don’t currently have the basic skills to find employment in these fields.

RCL Foods Bursary Options

There are currently six bursary options available from RCL Foods. They will enable successful applicants to study:

  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Supply Chain
  • Agriculture

All bursaries are for full-time undergraduate study that will result in a Bachelor of Technology or other degree. The bursary only covers qualifications that are accredited by SAQA. However the company will also consider post-graduate studies, particularly in areas where “scarce skills shortage” is recognized, although this will depend on the merits of each case, as well as fund availability. Only applicants achieving aggregates of at least 60 percent will be considered.

The funding of all bursaries is for one year only, although they will be re-evaluated annually and may be extended if academic performance is up to scratch. Bursaries cover registration, tuition and examination fees, as well as books required, and will be paid to the learning institution, not the student. Accommodation, clothing and other living expenses are expressly not covered. Successful applicants will be required to sign contractual agreements for the same period of time as their studies.

RCL Foods have a comprehensive Employment Equity Policy that has been set up to provide opportunities for a range of employees across the spectrum, incorporating people of all cultures and race, any background, either gender, and of all ages. The company is determined to equalize employee opportunities and erase all forms of discrimination. It will also make certain that there is ongoing consultation and engagement with employment equity committees regarding issues that relate to diversity in the workplace.

While these policies and strategies obviously favor the families of current RCL Foods employees, the bursary options available do provide opportunities for a small number of outsiders.