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Computer and
Business Fundamentals Training
The main focus of
this cost centre is the eight week computer training
and business fundamentals course. We run two
computer studios and a theory classroom full time,
mainly for entry level students. We also run
advanced classes during the year.
The studios are seen
as a need to address some of the skills shortages of
our youth who have left school and are looking for
work.
The computer studios
offer three options of training:
- The eight-week
full time Work Skills Training Programme
consisting of Business Fundamentals and Basic &
Intermediate Computer Literacy
- The six-week full
time Advanced Computer Literacy
- The Evening and
Saturday Computer Technology class
All computer courses
include Windows, Typing, Word and Excel, with the
more advanced classes adding advanced versions of
the above and including Power Point, Access,
Outlook, the Internet and E–mail. The Business
Fundamentals course includes topics such as Business
Communication, Self-Empowerment, Work Management,
Basic Accounts, Economics, Taxation etc.
Statistics over this
reporting period had improved over the previous
year. We trained a total of 484 students in
categories 1, 2 and 3 above of which a total of 264
were full time students, 72 Saturday class students,
84 evening class students, 64 advanced students. We
have realized that in terms of percentages females
are the ones that dominate our classes e.g. in one
class of 48 students 40 are female and 8 are male.
Word of mouth
continued to be the most favoured form of
recruitment, followed by advertising via posters and
pamphlets. We continue to review our performance
and try and make sure that our standards are good
and a benefit to all our students.
Through teamwork and
working together this department ensures that they
deliver what is best for the student. Our trainers
must deliver at a high standard and at the end of
each course each trainer’s performance is assessed
by the students. Students, before the course
starts, are informed by the administrator on what
the courseware entails and the expectations and
commitment we also expect from them.
The department
consists of three full time trainers, two who
specialise in computer training and one who
specialises in theory training. The ratio in the
computer classes is one trainer to 12 students.
There is also a full time administrator who is
assisted by a volunteer trainee. There is a lot of
administrative work involved in the running of this
project which includes the recruitment of students,
to the marking of exam papers and the general smooth
running of the office.
We recently
researched the demographic profiles of our students
over three full-time and one advanced class. 65
came from Limpopo, 9 from North West, 15 Mpumalanga,
10 Kwazulu-Natal, 41 Gauteng and 15 Eastern Cape.
It is interesting that our studios good work has
extended into the other provinces and we are able to
assist their youth in obtaining valuable skills.
Acknowledgements
Our sincere thanks go
to Cummins Corporation for their ongoing support of
the computer studios which enables us to charge the
community minimal attendance fees and for allowing
our students to visit their facilities; to Toyota
South Africa for their support of the materials and
study guides and volunteer stipends; and Aristocrat
Technologies for keeping our hardware running and
also for providing the security of two generators
that kept our studios alive during load shedding
earlier in the year.
We would like to
thank all our past and present students for their
support, as it is through your participation that we
can assist you and continue to assist those students
after you.
We would also like to
thank the computer team and our assistant for their
commitment, input and reliability over the past
year.
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