Learnerships to help skill local ECD workers

WENTWORTH’S early childhood development (ECD) expertise continues to expand, as five aspiring ECD practitioners were selected for a Education, Training and Development Practices (ETDP) Sector Education and Training Authority’s (Seta) level 5 ECD learnership.

Along with six from Lamontville, the five Wentworth future teachers will learn vital skills for child development and use their skills to address the skills shortage in the area. At the end of the two-year national qualifications framework (NQF) level 5 learnership, the 11 students will have achieved a diploma in ECD.

“Learnerships increase the employment prospects of ECD volunteers and workers and produces suitably qualified practitioners with a recognised ECD qualification. We would like to see more businesses come on board to partner and offer ECD training and recognised ECD qualifications, as we are still sitting with huge numbers of unqualified ECD workers. While these 11 successful candidates are elated, we have more than 80 who are still desperate for an opportunity to attain an ECD qualification,” said KZN manager of Save the Children, Mari van der Merwe.