Building skills within the environmental sector
Of the 14 interns placed at iSimangaliso, seven contracts were extended and four secured permanent employment
IN a bid to create sustainable job opportunities by developing priority skills in the biodiversity sector, iSimangaliso Wetland Park in May 2014 teamed up with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and various other environmental organisations to host 14 interns over 20 months.
SANBI and 43 other environmental organisations has embarked on a major skills development and job creating pilot programme, Groen Sebenza. Eight hundred unemployed graduates and matriculants are to benefit, and iSimangaliso offered place for 11.
Additionally, there were three more interns contractually employed under the GEF (Global Environmental Fund) programme.
‘What an honour it has been to work with 43 biodiversity and conservation organisations to grow and nurture this cadre of confident and competent young people to shape the future of our sector,’ said Tanya Abrahamse, SANBI CEO.
iSimangaliso made available a mentoring and intern support programme designed to help interns develop professionally, and introduced them to the park’s conservation and development mandate.
The programme also aimed to build interpersonal and communication skills and an approach to conflict management.
At the end of the agreed intern period in December, iSimangaliso sourced funding to extend seven Groen Sebenza interns’ contracts for a further year, while four were given full time placements in iSimangaliso and other institutions.
Mandisa Nkosi (Administrative Assistant to Park Operations Director) and Zama Mkhwanazi (Bookkeeper) were employed by iSimangaliso, while Nokwethemba Zulu secured a permanent position at Katanga (an iSimangaliso service provider) and Yvonne Mpanza took up full time employment at the Department of Education.
All are from schools and communities around the wetland park.
‘The opportunities for growth and development continue for those still within the iSimangaliso intern programme and their mentors are confident that by the conclusion of this programme they will have acquired all the skills they need to achieve whatever career goals they have set for themselves,’ said Nonku Lafuleni, iSimangaliso Training and Capacity Building Manager.
