SEVENTEEN young people who were interns at Blue Roof Life Space successfully completed their six-month training course.
From January to June this year, these incumbents were given the opportunity to learn varying skills from each of the four departments that were on offer. These were namely agriculture, career guidance, wellness and catering.
Intern-cum-graduate, Bongiwe Msomi, said she was grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to train at the Wentworth-based centre.
“In all the departments availed to us, we were trained first and then allowed to interact with various people who would visit the centre and assist them according to their needs.”
“We were also introduced to the Theory of Career Choice invented by a psychologist, John Holland. The guideline has six colours and each represents various fields of work.”
“I enjoyed the various tasks we had to carry out at each department. I see myself easily fitting into any of the four careers that we were mostly exposed to because I now have a better understanding of who I am and my goals,” she said.
Another incumbent, Sabelo Dlamini, said with the qualification he has received, he believes the wellness training will benefit him most.
“I can now do HIV counselling, be it as a volunteer or an employee at a hospital or health care centres. What’s more, if I so wish to continue in a particular field, I can go into a course with a better understanding of the subject I will be studying.”
“I also realised that there were many of us who came into the programme shy but through having to talk to various people at the career guidance centre, we grew confident and are now better at speaking to crowds.”
“Going forward, things will be much easier for me as compared to someone who did not get the training that we received,” he said.
He added that his overall experience at Blue Roof was pleasant and that he was grateful to get exposed to the working world especially for someone with just matric.
The Blue Roof vision remains focussed on three core areas of influence – to provide a space where the ideas, voices and solutions of children, youth and the community are valued and integrated.
To offer support to students and young adults as they make subject and workplace decisions through the state-of-the-art career guidance centre and then to link individuals to a job or entrepreneurial opportunities.
As well as to give age-appropriate healthcare and support to people with issues including HIV, abuse, malnutrition and mental health concerns.