EPWP Beneficiaries to Graduate from Early Childhood Development Learnerships

On 5 June 2015, a total of 376 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) beneficiaries will be graduating from the West Coast College in Malmesbury after successfully completing their 18-month Early Childhood Development (ECD) learnerships.

The training, which took place between February 2013 and December 2014, aimed to expand the Early Childhood Development (ECD) field in the West Coast region with more experienced and qualified practitioners while simultaneously creating better employment opportunities for the youth. The Department of Transport and Public Works, Department of Social Development and the Western Cape Education Department provided funding for both tuition as well as a monthly stipend for the duration of the training.

These EPWP beneficiaries were enrolled either for the Further Education and Training (FET) Certificate in ECD or the Higher Certificate in ECD at the college. Beneficiaries attended various theoretical training sessions at the college and completed practical hours at a suitable organisation, which is registered with the Department of Social Development.

The target group was ECD practitioners who had no formal qualification but were already working in the field.

These initiatives continue to make a difference in the province by supporting the Western Cape Government’s Provincial Strategic Goal 1: to create opportunities for growth and jobs.