A hundred students from Assured Vocational Skills Institute (AVSI) received their certificates at a graduation ceremony held at the AFM Communo Church on June 21.

“At AVSI we unleash potential, achieve greatness and help create better lives. We encourage our graduates who are the previously unemployed and some of them are graduates from various institutions.

“We have skilled them to start sustainable businesses that will transform them to employ others and create wealth so they can contribute meaningfully to the socio-economics of the province and the country at large,” said Peggy Sithole, AVSI managing director.

This initiative is funded by the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP & M) Seta. The Mpumalanga Provincial Department of Education, in partnership with AVSI, are the project implementers.

“I am excited and confident that I can receive this certificate that will help me start my own business in furniture making. Through learning here, I discovered that there is nothing like a man’s world. Women are capable of doing anything,” said Charlene Nqanda (29) from Marite. She received a certificate in furniture making, wood level 2.

The graduation also included two siblings, Sandisile Mabatha (27) and her 29-year-old brother Mbongeni Mabatha from Daantjie, receiving sewing machines for their clothing business.
Gracious Masuku from Belfast Trust wasannounced the best learner with entrepreneurship skills. She owns a 42-hectare vegetable farm.

AVSI is an accredited skills development provider, offering focused vocational and business skills programmes ranging from learnership qualifications, skills programmes and short courses within various vocations and business skills.

“Our skills development programmes are all accredited with the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA), aligned with the National Qualifications Framework ( NQF) and the Unit Standard Credit-bearing within the General

Education and Training (GETC) qualifications, further education and training and the national certificate.”

You can visit them at 19 Rood Street, Mbombela or contact them for more information.