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A voice for unemployed youth
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Young People Speak!
Issue 7: August 2014
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Note from the Project Director:



Read more about the Project Director on his website.
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Welcome to the 7th issue of Young People Speak! There has been a hive of activity at YoungPeople@Work since our last newsletter in April. In this issue we report on our highly successful mid-year graduation, our current computer course, upcoming free life skills training, outreach work to various rural communities, ongoing online job search training and so much more! Despite the fact that we are still only able to pay our volunteers small stipends to cover their transport costs, they have been more committed than ever! I salute each one of them! During this quarter, some funding was accessed to support our online job search, life skills and computer literacy training allowing us to reach many more unemployed youth.
Happy reading and please send us your feedback. Thank you!
YP@W mid-year graduation 14 June 2014

It was a day of celebration on 14 June 2014 as we hosted our mid-year graduation! 6 months of hard work and sacrifice was celebrated! Not even the pouring rain on the day could prevent our students and supporters from staying away. Certificates were handed over to our students who successfully completed their computer literacy and life skills course, our Techno Moms, as well as our own volunteer facilitators providing free online job search training at various libraries. Joining us on the day were Sheila Van Flemmering (HCI Foundation), Rovina Marthinus (Arniston/Struisbaai Council of Stakeholders), Freda Camphor (Department of Labour), Titania Fernandez (Community Chest – WC) and our guest speaker, Theresa Denton (UWC lecturer and renowned international librarian) who spoke passionately about the benefits of our partnership with community libraries.

We thank all those who made this event a memorable experience especially the bands Christ Effect and Jayson Magooda and friends who entertained us with some fantastic jazz music, our own Shirley De Jongh and her team of volunteers who managed the catering, Russell Fox, the international magician who was the highlight of the day and Pastor Graham Siebritz from Adonai Life who provided the venue! And last but not least, a big thanks to all our students and supporters who attended! 
Our students, special guests and supporters at the mid-year graduation.
Smiling with their certificates of achievements are our online job search trainers.
New computer and life skills course

Our second computer course for 2014 started in May. This 3 month course offers the following computer programmes namely, Introduction to computers, Computer based typing, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, Internet and email. Classes are offered two days per week over 3 months with flexible time slots. Evening sessions are also offered. The fee for the unemployed is R795.00 and the employed pay R995.00 per person. The deposit is R100.00. We are in the process of revising this course and will in future offer a 4 week course with training over 4 days per week instead of 2 days per week. Another 4 days training will be added to cover more content. Our computer training comes with extra benefits such as a free CV uploaded into our CV bank for prospective employees, SMS alerts of future job opportunities, extra tuition on a Friday morning and a certificate on successful completion of the course.

Our second life skills course was successfully completed on 24 July 2014.  The following workshops were covered: Basic office and bookkeeping skills, professional job seeking, personal development and leadership, professional networking, customer relations, effective money management and project/event management. A new life skills course will start on 5 September 2014. To register, please contact Josephine Silbourne at 073 820 1534 or email us at youngpeople.za@gmail.com.

Register now for our free life skills workshops!! (Employed people pay R50 per person)
  • 5 September 2014 – Basic office administration workshop
  • 6 September 2014 – Basic bookkeeping workshop
  • 12 September 2014 – Professional job seeking skills workshop
  • 19 September 2014 – Personal development and leadership workshop
  • 26 September 2014 – Professional networking workshop
  • 3 October 2014 – Effective money management workshop
  • 10 October 2014 – Effective customer relations workshop
  • 17 October 2014 – Effective project management workshop
Meet our students who completed our intensive life skills course.
Shirley De Jongh explains the various parts of a computer to her morning class.
Rural outreach to unemployed youth in Suurbraak and Arniston communities

As part of our rural outreach focus, our volunteers travelled to Arniston and Suurbraak communities in May and July respectively. In July a follow up visit was made to Arniston. Unemployed youth were trained in basic computer literacy, online job searching and life skills. CVs were completed free of charge. In Arniston a special project management session was facilitated to explore job creation opportunities. We are now planning to identify potential youth leaders to complete a comprehensive rural leadership development course at our centre as part of the continuous follow up and to consolidate the achievements made so far.

This is what participants had to say:
Rene Pretorius from Suurbraak wrote: "I want to thank YP@W for what they have done for us (Frank, Doreen and Poppie). I never had met so inspiring people that I can learn more from! You guys ROCK! Hope to see you very soon again!"

Celeste Hendricks from Suurbraak wrote: "I am very impressed with YP@W. Our class was well presented. The two ladies Doreen and Poppie really had patience with us. And our class we had with Frank Julie was good and well presented. Thank you all and hope to have a next session! Love you all!"

John Pietersen from Arniston wrote:  â€œEk het die werkswinkels baie geniet en sou graag wou hê dit moes langer duur. Ek het geleer om nie agteroor te sit en te wag dat die werk na my toe moet kom. Ek het die nodige “tools” ontvang om werk te gaan soek. Dit was ‘n bonus om die opleiding gratis te ontvang.”
 
Rovina Marthinus from Arniston wrote: “I am very glad that I could attend this training to empower myself. The training was very good. The facilitators were very good. I could understand every word they taught us.”
Unemployed youth from Suurbraak with their certificates after a week of computer and life skills training.
Unemployed youth from Arniston are assisted to open their own email and Facebook accounts and complete their own CVs.
Train-the-Trainer course 

With our plan to restructure our computer literacy course from September 2014, more computer facilitators will be needed. A programme of was launched recently to build the capacity of existing trainers as well as preparing new ones. The programme is led by Frank Julie and supported by Shirley De Jongh. Estelle Hendricks will provide more advance computer training. We plan to intensify our marketing and hence the intake of new students. The new facilitators will qualify by the end of August 2014 and be ready by September for the new intake. 
Preparing for their computer theory exam. Our trainers discuss a few points.
Lizelle Kock pratice her facilitation techniques during a train the trainer class.
Youth Empowerment Week in Darling

This project was hosted by the Swartland Municipality in April and attended by about 40 unemployed youth over 3 days. Participants were trained in CV writing skills, job interviewing, networking skills and personal development and leadership. Various partners joined on day 3 to offer their services to the participants. 
After a week of hard work unemployed youth are full of smiles in Darling.
Marguerite Holtzhausen from the Swartland Municipality explains the services they offer to unemployed youth.
Meet our team!! Mandilakhe Songelwa

“My name is Mandilakhe Songelwa, born and raised in Eastern Cape in a small town called Qumbu. I moved to Cape Town in 2009 to pursue my studies. In 2010 I graduated at Northlink College where I studied Early Childhood Development. In 2010 June I started working at St Johns Pre- Primary as a Grade R teacher. In 2013 Sept I attended YP@W Youth Empowerment Week at Lwandle Museum.  After 2 years of working as a teacher I then joined YP@W where I do voluntary online job search training at Lwandle Library in Strand. I was mentored by Doreen Cussendala at Bishop Lavis library. I have attended a number of life skills workshops at YP@W to build my capacity and I am currently training to become a qualified computer facilitator. What I love about my job is working with people in helping them to gain a skill that will help them better their future. Being able to make someone smile is what brings me joy!! Oh yeah!!”
Mandilakhe Songelwa smiles while radio presenting, one of her passions!
Mandilakhe with unemployed youth at Lwandle library.
Thanks for your support Spark PR!

We received a donation of 5 computers from Spark PR Cape Town branch, a public relations company with its head office in the USA. This donation was made possible by Ronell Swartbooi, an ex-trustee of People First Foundation and supporter of YP@W. The computers are currently used for admin purposes, allowing our trainers to capture CVs and store important data of our participants. Thank you Ronell for your support! It came at the right time! 
The computers and some stationery received as donation.
Ronell Swartbooi.
Thank you for the donation of files and clothing!
Auntie Jenny (Ashleen's mom) showing off the files we received as donation.
Our volunteers busy preparing for the next rummage sale to generate income.
We are grateful for the donation of files from Ashleen Fortuin (ex-Resource Action Group volunteer) and a donation of clothing from Maria Patricia Basson, the director of St Mary’s Home for Abused Women based in Parow.
 
 
Our programmes/projects include:
  • Community Information Sessions (Sharing information about our work and that of our strategic partners with relevant groups.)
  • Youth Empowerment Weeks (Reaching out to unemployed youth in various communities over 3 days)
  • Computer and life skills course (3 month course aimed at unemployed youth)
  • Job placements and Job Mirroring (Shadowing) (Aimed at trainees who need support to be placed into jobs)
  • Leader to Leader course (10 week study session aimed at NPO leaders)
  • Rural Outreach Project (Aimed at unemployed youth in rural communities)
  • Train the Trainer course (Aimed at unemployed youth who aspire to become facilitators)
  • SMS and Facebook Alert service  (Shares information about current job opportunities)
  • CV Bank (Stores CV’s of our trainees for prospective employers and employment agencies) 
“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.” - C. Joy Bell C.
Thank you Grandwest CSI, SPZA (The Netherlands) and HCI Foundation for your financial support to cover some programme and operational costs!

              
 
Please support our work among unemployed youth!
YoungPeople@Work is managed entirely by volunteers who do not earn any fulltime salaries. About 70% of all current expenses are covered through self-generated income and volunteer labour! Your support is welcomed to sustain our work amongst unemployed youth! Help us to fix South Africa for those who will inherit it!!
Account name: Young People At Work
Bank: FNB
Branch: Parow
Code: 250655
Acc. nr. 62388828190
Type: Business Cheque
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Tel: 021 823 7837
Cel: 074 350 8582
Email: youngpeople.za@gmail.com

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