LOCATION: Mariental
VALUE: N/A
o ensure that leaners in Otjozondjupa Region are equipped with the relevant basic vocational skills, Ohorongo Cement recently donated 240 bags of cement to the Khorab Secondary School and Shalom Primary School respectively. The cement donation, is the company’s contribution towards the conversion of classrooms into basic Pre-Vocational training workshops.
Khorab Secondary School currently the only school in the region offering the basic Pre-Vocational Welding, Agriculture- and Hospitality Level 1 & 2 skills.
“As a manufacturing company we want to make sure that leaners are exposed to these basic skills at an early age, and hopefully they will be able to rely on them in their adulthood. As a nation that is on the quest for industrialisation, it is important that we expose the future generation to skills that would assist this country to meet its developmental goals,” says Mr Hans-Wilhelm Schütte.
The vocational skills courses, which follows the COSDEC curriculum, has been piloted at the school since 2012 to learners who are struggling with mainstream subjects. Classes, especially for Welding, are currently offered outdoors, as the school does not have a workshop.
A grateful Marina Opperman, the school’s principal, applauded Ohorongo Cement for the gesture, saying; “The learners are very excited about this new development. They all are working hard and it’s pleasing to note that some of our first leaners who went through these programmes, have secured employment directly after completing Grade 12.”
Shalom Primary School is the other school that introduced the basic vocational skills training in 2017 for Grades 5-7 in the Design- and Technology field. Currently these subjects are offered in a normal classroom, which is not favourable for practicals.
“We appreciate the donations from Ohorongo very much, which is assisting us with realization of our classrooms. We offer the courses to any leaners who have an interest in the subject,” said TEK Tjituera, the Principle of Shalom Primary School.
Tjituera urged other companies to aid the basic education ministry to make vocational skills training a reality in all schools countrywide, in order to grow the field of artisans.
Annually, Ohorongo Cement donates 2 000 bags of cement toward the construction of additional classrooms, ablution facilities & cooking facilities via the Ministry of Basic Education, Arts & Culture.
