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Deaf youngsters graduate as boat builders | The New Age Online
The boat-building industry in the Western Cape has been boosted with new skills after 30 deaf students from Khayelitsha successfully completed a one-year training course.
The course was an initiative between the Plastics Federation of South Africa (PFSA) and the Whisper Boat Building Academy (WBBA). Those who completed the training were between 16 and 35 years old.
Another group of 30 young people from disadvantaged areas will also be trained.
Peter Jacobs, founder of the WBBA said, “There is a tremendous shortage of skilled labour in the Western Cape boat-building industry and the deaf students of the WBBA y are a welcome relief.
“We recognised there was a great need to assist deaf and hearing-impaired youngsters from disadvantaged communities so the academy was founded in 2004 as a nonprofit organisation to teach deaf students from the townships the art of boat building.”
According to Vanessa Davidson, skills development facilitator for the Cape Town Boatbuilding and Technology Initiative, 40% of young South Africans between the ages of 16 and 25 are unemployed and do not go to school or college.
“Disabled youngsters have an even bigger problem and face greater obstacles as there are not many opportunities or job facilities that cater for their specific needs,” said Davidson.
“The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Education and Training Authority (merSETA) has given this initiative its vote of confidence by signing a memorandum of understanding last week, committing itself to fund the full tuition of the 30 students, who will be recruited and selected by the PFSA.
“Training will take place with the help of a full-time sign language interpreter and will consist of classroom-based training combined with workplace experience.
“Successful pupils will graduate after six months and be issued with PFSA certificate in polymer composite fabrication on NQF Level 2,” she said. “We are also finding employment for the youth who have completed the training.”
The boat-building industry in the Western Cape has been boosted with new skills after 30 deaf students from Khayelitsha successfully completed a one-year training course.
The course was an initiative between the Plastics Federation of South Africa (PFSA) and the Whisper Boat Building Academy (WBBA). Those who completed the training were between 16 and 35 years old.
Another group of 30 young people from disadvantaged areas will also be trained.
Peter Jacobs, founder of the WBBA said, “There is a tremendous shortage of skilled labour in the Western Cape boat-building industry and the deaf students of the WBBA y are a welcome relief.
“We recognised there was a great need to assist deaf and hearing-impaired youngsters from disadvantaged communities so the academy was founded in 2004 as a nonprofit organisation to teach deaf students from the townships the art of boat building.”
According to Vanessa Davidson, skills development facilitator for the Cape Town Boatbuilding and Technology Initiative, 40% of young South Africans between the ages of 16 and 25 are unemployed and do not go to school or college.
“Disabled youngsters have an even bigger problem and face greater obstacles as there are not many opportunities or job facilities that cater for their specific needs,” said Davidson.
“The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Education and Training Authority (merSETA) has given this initiative its vote of confidence by signing a memorandum of understanding last week, committing itself to fund the full tuition of the 30 students, who will be recruited and selected by the PFSA.
“Training will take place with the help of a full-time sign language interpreter and will consist of classroom-based training combined with workplace experience.
“Successful pupils will graduate after six months and be issued with PFSA certificate in polymer composite fabrication on NQF Level 2,” she said. “We are also finding employment for the youth who have completed the training.”