Tag: scholarships

Two Western Cape Province Learnership Programmes Available

Western Cape Province Learnership Programmes 2015

Western_Cape-logoWhilst all the Western Cape Government bursaries for next year (2015) have closed, there are still learnerships available. One is an exciting project that will help WC matriculants who want to get into the public service as a career; the other is for volunteers who want to make a difference in the field of education. Both are for a year.

PAY Learnership Programme

Applications for the Premier’s Advancement of Youth (PAY) Project will be open from 7th to 31st January 2015 and successful applicants will work for the Province for a year from April 2015 until the end of March 2016. This work experience will provide free training, and invaluable experience working for the public service.

The opportunities offered by the Western Cape Province are in keeping with the Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority’s (EtdpSETA) stated mission to ensure that the South African workforce will be “better educated and informed”.

The idea of the PAY Learnership Programme is to help those wanting to start a career in the public service get a new set of skills and get experience that will ultimately make them more employable and more marketable in the sector. Ultimately the programme provides work experience and a year during which participants can make “informed career choices”.

The programme provides public sector, on-the-job training in the full range of provincial departments; specifically in the Department of:

  • the Premier
  • Agriculture
  • Community Safety
  • Cultural Affairs and Sport
  • Economic Development and Tourism
  • Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
  • Health
  • Human Settlements
  • Local Government
  • Social Development
  • Transport and Public Works

as well as in the

  • Provincial Treasury
  • Western Cape Education Department (WCED)

A total of about 750 matriculants from the class of 2014 will secure positions, providing they:

  • Have passed the Western Cape National Senior Certificate this year
  • Are not planning to study next year
  • Are South African citizens who live in the Western Cape
  • Do not have support or any form of network that will help with career choices
  • Are not sure what to do once they have left school
  • Are financially “constrained”
  • Are aged between 18 and 24

If you fit this profile, then bookmark the Western Cape website and diarise the opening and closing dates for applications (7th to 31st January 2015).

Year Beyond Programme

Another learnership opportunity currently being offered by the Western Cape Government is the Year Beyond Programme, an educational enrichment opportunity that involves dedicating 12 months to helping at schools in the province that are underperforming.

While volunteers give there time without remuneration, they get the chance to enhance their economic and social networks, and gain access to work experience. There are also bursary opportunities for the future.

Essentially the Year Beyond learnership programme involves tutoring both primary and secondary school pupils after school hours in subjects they are struggling with, primarily English, mathematics, technology and science. For this reason, it is essential for participants to be committed, motivated and to have been high-achievers at school. Important qualities include:

  • Excellent leadership capabilities
  • Good academic results, particularly in the subjects mentioned above
  • A proven track record that indicates community involvement
  • Good skills when it comes to solving problems
  • The ability to be able to work in an environment that is diverse
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • An innovative and creative flair

The Year Beyond Programme is open to local volunteers and to people from other countries who are no older than 24 years. Applicants must have achieved at least a 60 percent pass in English and maths in matric, and they must have good computer skills. Qualities that are required include personal initiative, leadership skills, courage and the ability to self manage. They must also be able to demonstrate a commitment that they will aim to make a difference and impact on the lives of other people.

Where to find the application form?

Applications for this exciting leadership programme, which runs from January to November 2015, close on 30th November. It is essential to complete the APPLICATION FORM, and then either email it to apply@yearbebyond.org.za or deliver to the Western Cape Government Contact Centre in Wale Street in the Cape Town city centre.

Social Work Scholarships Available for Study Next Year

Social Work Scholarships 2015

Applications for 2015 scholarships are open for social work students and matriculants who are planning to enrol for a social work degree at university next year. So if you aspire to become a social worker, and you need some kind of bursary to get you through your studies, then don’t miss this opportunity. The closing date for applications is October 31, 2014.

Social Work is a Calling

One of the most important notifications in the social work Scholarship for Social Work Student Guide 2015 released by the National Department of Social Development, as programme manager of the Scholarship Programme, Moqeloa Mothopeng, points out, is that social work is a calling rather than just a profession. For this reason the department only want students who “REALLY want to pursue this noble profession” to apply for the social work scholarships that are currently available.

They stress that they really do want people who are “very passionate” about social work to apply. They also stress that they want students who will be happy to help in disadvantaged communities, “with all their problems regardless where they are.” Most of these communities are, nor surprisingly, in rural areas.

The social work profession falls under the SsdSETA that was established to incorporate all welfare-related sub-sectors in 2011. This makes it one of the newer SETAs in South Africa, representing the welfare sector that was previously part of a broader body, the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA).

What Social Work Scholarships Cover

The scholarships on offer for 2015 will cover registration costs, tuition fees, cost of books prescribed for the courses, and stipends for practical exams. If accommodation is provided by the applicants’ universities of choice, accommodation costs might be included in the scholarship.

The Department has a very clear policy in terms of how and when they pay. For example, when learners who get social work scholarships buy books, each and every item needs to be specified. Only prescribed books and other study material will be covered. They also only pay out “appropriate expenses” and will not ever pay students money that could have, but hasn’t, been used. Full study fees are paid after April in the relevant year (in this case April 2015).

The Departmental guide also draws attention to the fact that successful applicants cannot change their field of study once they have been accepted.

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Important Details Required

In general, those who are applying for social work scholarships must be SA citizens and be happy to enter into an agreement with the Department. That’s about it… though of course all the necessary paperwork must be supplied – certified copies of Matric results, ID document, parent or guardian’s proof of income, academic record to date, and so on – and all entry requirements from the university must be complied with. All requirements are clearly laid out by the Department of Social Development.

Admission to University

Even though students are applying for scholarships, the Department emphasizes that it is imperative for them to apply to their university of choice for admission in due time. To help they have given a full list of relevant institutions throughout the country, together with names, contact details, and email information of heads of departments.

They have also provided information that will help prospective applicants get more information from provincial representatives in every province.

The Department also provides information that will help students explore additional financial assistance opportunities.

So you want to be a social worker and you need a bursary? What are you waiting for?

Where to find the Application Form.

The National Department of Social Development has released it’s student guidelines for social work scholarships; they are available for download from their website.