Creche owners bridge skills gap

INFORMAL creche owners in Alexandra participated in early childhood development training aimed at bridging the skills gap.

The training was provided by the ASHA Trust for early childhood development, which hosted crèche owners from Alexandra and Daveyton at a graduation ceremony at the FNB Conference Centre in Sandton.

Close to 20 women were presented with certificates after completing ASHA’s 9-month care skills training programme which was funded by the Spur and FirstRand foundations. Illustrating the important role of ECD practitioners in laying the foundation for future learning in their communities, ASHA trustee, Apollo Masango, said despite former president Nelson Mandela standing barefoot in front of his teachers, he went on to accomplish great things.

Like other training programmes developed and presented by ASHA, the care training programme is specifically aimed at the informal creche owner who may not be able to access instructive higher education programmes.

It provides practical training on children’s needs, ECD centre requirements, responsibilities, educational needs and learning resources. The professional skills training – combined with material, equipment and educational resource support – has helped to ensure access to quality early childhood education for vulnerable children where they live, Masango said.

With the meagre facilities in their homes – lack of resources and no formal education in child care – the most many of them could do was provide places of safety for the young children in their creches, he added.

Details: www.ashatrust.com