Learnership programmes to benefit disabled
90 women with disabilities will form part of an early childhood development learnership programme, while 29 women and 21 men with disabilities will benefit from a clothing manufacturing learnership.
The Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) recently launched disability learnership programmes that is set to benefit 119 women with disabilities from rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal.
HWSETA launched two programmes at the Uvongo Town Hall last Friday.
According to HWSETA’s CEO, Elaine Brass the women will undergo 12-month training programmes in either early childhood development or clothing manufacturing to fully equip them, to enter the formal economy.
Brass said 90 women with disabilities will form part of an early childhood development learnership programme, while 29 women and 21 men with disabilities will benefit from a clothing manufacturing learnership.
“We are excited to be able to launch these programmes for some of society’s most marginalised women during Women’s Month. The programmes will see these women and men graduate with a national certificate in early childhood development or clothing manufacturing which will open significant doors in the way of employment opportunities as creche educators, tailors, co-operative members and business owners,” said Brass.
She added that the programme which is being rolled out by HWSETA’s training partner Future Discovery includes three months of theoretical training, covering topics like business and time management, followed by seven months of workshop-based practical training.
Brass said possible employment opportunities that are available after qualifying include creating cooperatives to manufacture school and church uniforms or taking up employment as a seamstress.
She added that 7.5% of people living in South Africa have reported living with a disability, saying that many people living with disabilities have been excluded from actively participating in the mainstream economy.
Also, Brass said HWSETA’s training partner for the programme is the Environment and Language Education Trust (ELET).
Director of ELET, Nareshini Ranganthan said: “Conceptualising and delivering programmes like these meet the critically important goals of increasing disability awareness, helping to build a culture of inclusivity and creating the spaces for the disabled to realise their full potential.”
Meanwhile, the speaker of Ugu District municipality, Sizwe Ngcobo said that they are delighted that the programme was launched in Ugu, saying that they support it because it will benefit people with disabilities.
“On the coast, we take care of disabled people as we have a forum for them. I was sent by the mayor to speak at this launch as he had other commitments. Initially, we thought this was a regional event but we can see that it is at a national level,” said Ngcobo
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