Efforts to empower girls with skills for the future

IN collaboration with Amcare, Human Capital Learning Solutions (HCLS) kicked off with their programme, “Enter Youth into ICTs”. Participating in the project is a group of 20 girls from Amcare’s Enabling Girls to Dream project.

Amcare partnered with HCLS to promote information and communications technology (ICT) programme to empower the girls in digital literacy, coding and entrepreneurship.

The learners will be equipped with online methods of research, e-skills and entrepreneurship.

The group comprise Phola Park learners in the age group between 13 and 16.

Learners attend the programme during school holidays. Occasionally, they also attend on Saturdays.

Upon completion, learners will graduate and be conferred with short course certificates from the Vaal University of Technology.

Director of HCLS Harry Mathabathe said the aim of the programme was to equip learners for future employment or entrepreneurial opportunities.

“We are going to start them off with this programme but eventually they’ll grow into coding and robotics. The correlation between this intervention and academic performance will be tracked through research,” he said.

Wikus van der Merwe, also a director at HCLS, said the course will complement the learners’ school academic work.

“This will be a long term relationship between Amcare and HCLS. We recognise the need to collaborate so that we can provide sustainable solutions to our communities.

“It is envisioned that our learners’ results, and the comprehension in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering, will improve.

“This programme is complementary to their studies,” said Van der Merwe.

Nadine Mason, Amcare marketing director, said:“This programme will ensure the girls are not defined by their situations and circumstances.”