ROSHAN ABRAHAMS
Fourth-year students at Cafda School of Skills and some of their parents were invited to a work etiquette skills training workshop, at the school, on Saturday April 23.
The six-year-old Retreat school aims to help its pupils decide what they want to do in life before they take on the world to look for a job.
Nathalie Europa-Mercuur, acting deputy principal, said a workshop was needed to teach pupils work etiquette and reliability.
Parent Juanita Jordan offered to facilitate the workshop.
Ms Europa- Mercuur has been teaching at Cafda since it was still a primary school. “In 2009, when the Western Cape Education Department changed it to a skills training school, I stayed. I teach natural science and English.”
She said the pupils are referred from primary schools by a psychologist after being diagnosed with an “academic barrier”.
The school has an adapted curriculum, which includes academic and skills training courses.
“The WCED places the children at Cafda or Blouvlei School, in Retreat, depending on what level they are. He or she will not be able to cope in a mainstream high school. However, this school teaches them work skills because they learn differently. One of the barriers, not being able to read or write, does not have to stop them from finding a job. One of our students who is not doing very well academically is a natural at welding. When a teacher arranged for a learnership, they picked 10 students, but out of five, he was chosen to do a learnership, over a few who had a matric certificate.”
Ms Europa-Mercuur said a few of the first intake of pupils were accepted into FET colleges after completing the four-year course at Cafda School of Skills.
The workshops held this month now aim to help the current students finish school to find a job next year.
She said she is thankful to Ms Jordan and would like other parents to also help, such as parents who own businesses and who can help pupils find jobs.
Two other speakers at the workshop were Ms Jordan’s brother, Francisco Cornelius, director of Leliebloem House, a children’s home in Athlone who gave a motivational speech and her sister, Denise Delcarme, of Dan Ag Centre, in Retreat who conducted a information session to find out what pupils wanted to do in life and told them how to prepare for an interview.
Ms Jordan said her son Nicholas is in his last year at the school. The WCED had referred him to the Cafda School of Skills.
She said Nicholas is 18 years old and will do a gap year course at Communiversity in Vrygrond next year.
Since Communiversity opened its doors in Vrygrond in 2012, nearly 200 young people have graduated with skills ranging from maths to first aid and food gardening. The centre aims to offer practical education and training to bright and deserving people over 18 to help them integrate into the workforce. Priority is given to residents of Vrygrond and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile, Ms Jordan said the pupils at Cafda School of Skills will need to be taught telephone etiquette, people skills and also to find out what they want in life.
Mr Cornelius told the pupils about his life experience. “I joined the navy at the age of 16. After I did matric I changed jobs so many times. While some people believe you should find a stable job, I discovered something different.”
During his “soul searching”, Mr Cornelius found his calling. “I wanted to look after people. How do you do a job looking after people? Nurses and crèche teachers look after people. But I am now very successful through hard work and I am working as a director of a children’s home because I found that thing which I love.”
He said success is not about how rich you are, but about what difference you’ve made.
He said Nelson Mandela and Gandhi were great leaders who had led by example. “Become a leader in your own community and put effort into what you are doing. Love what you’re doing. For example, be the best hairdresser or engineer or chef.”
He encouraged the students to make things uniquely theirs, so that people would come to them.
“It took me 54 years to get a new car. I had my licence when I was 18 and a few old cars, but I had a goal in mind and worked by putting my heart and mind in it. So, be clear about what you want to do.”
Ms Delcarme asked the pupils to tell each other what they wanted to be when they finish school. Some of them wanted to be fashion designers, own businesses or become spray-painters, hairdressers and sound engineers.”
The follow-up workshop on how to prepare for an interview will be held at the end of this term.