Department Begins Online Courses For Teaching Assistants

To ensure participants are better equipped for the world of work, the education department will strengthen their employment initiative by offering participants short courses.

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) is calling on young people to enrol in the training programmes offered as part of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI).

The DBE explained that these programmes would allow the participants to gain competencies in several learning areas related to the fourth industrial revolution 4IR and digitisation.

Education assistants and general school assistants must enrol in the three-day course on digital literacy, online privacy, misinformation and disinformation, fact-checking, digital tools and advocacy and making change.

The optional five-week course offered by NEMISA will include digital literacy, an introduction to Microsoft Office, and an Introduction to cybersecurity and digital technology. Upon completion of this course, participants will receive an accredited qualification.

“The skills, knowledge and competencies gained through these training is invaluable in the twenty-first century. These are also the kind of skills that are portable across a wide range of jobs. The skills are also usable in daily life, especially in an era where most services are being digitised. Further to that, the future of work is in digitisation” explained the department.

It's important to note that the course comes at no cost. It is free for youth to enrol and participate. The DBE added that they have also made provisions for the youth to access the internet at schools so they can participate in the course.

The DBE launched the BEEI as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) in the final months of 2021. Through the BEEI, the department has created 830 000 work opportunities over the programmes' three phases.

Youth were employed as education assistants and general school assistants. It has since been revealed that 63% of participants who were part of the BEEI were women. Click Here To Read About The Experiences Of Teaching Assistants 

“The Ministry further requests youth placed in schools to seize all opportunities offered during their placement, be it information about bursaries, scholarships, employment or funding for entrepreneurship opportunities” concluded the department.

For More Information On The Training Courses Click Here

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In 2021, Judge Muller from the High Court of South Africa (Polokwane Division) described the persistence of pit toilets at schools as a national emergency. While new plans are in place to address issues around the use of pit toilets, civil society believes more work must be done.

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Education is empowerment—a chance to pursue your dreams and make a better life for yourself. But it's more than that. Education has the power to change the world and make it a better place.

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The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) provides short term financial relief to individuals who require it. This relief is provided to workers who made the required contributions to the fund and have the credits needed. 

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) is a crucial support mechanism which provides bursaries to deserving students and removes the barriers that not having the financial resources would create.

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After months of waiting, beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant found out that they will soon receive outstanding grant payments for successful reconsideration requests. This means outstanding payments for June and the backlog related to April and May will also be addressed.

It has been almost three months since unemployed individuals in South Africa received the crucial R350 grant. This is due to the rules around the grant’s disbursement changing after the National State of Disaster was lifted.

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Every month, around 10 million people qualify to receive the R350 grant. The grant is crucial as it is the only support unemployed individuals between 18 and 59 years old receive from the South African government.

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