By Purnille Albertyn
On the 20th of March 2025, Hessequa Municipality hosted its Quarterly Skills Indaba at the Thusong Centre in Riversdale, where the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR) was also in attendance. Representing GCBR were Leila Moosajee (Youth Coordinator), Simthandile Ponti (Smallholder Farmer Extension Officer), Somila Liwani (Project Support Officer), Erin Martin (Intern), and Purnille Albertyn (Intern).
The Garden Route Skills Mecca is a socio-economic job creation programme that emerged from a regional disaster in June 2017 known as the “Knysna fires”. The programme strives to ensure collaboration, cooperation and integration among all the stakeholders involved in Skills Development across the eight municipalities of the Garden Route District of the Western Cape.
A critical component of the Skills Mecca process is known as the Skills Indaba which is a multi-stakeholder workshop organised by the Local Municipal Skills Mecca Technician every three months. The purpose of this Indaba is to engage with various industries and role players on the implementation of skills development programs within the region.
Currently, there are 29 active programmes with 2 191 beneficiaries. The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) continues to implement life-changing skills development and training initiatives in the district.
GCBR Mini-Projects
Our GCBR interns and Project Support Officer presented their mini projects at the Skills Indaba. They were each given a budget to implement a project of their choice within 6 months, which aligns with the GCBR’s mission. These projects aim to provide the interns with valuable skills in areas such as project planning, management, budgeting, and problem-solving which will improve their professional development and prepare them for future careers. We received positive feedback on our projects at the Skills Indaba. To learn more about the projects you can view this blog.
Why the Skills Mecca Programme is Important:
The Skills Mecca Programme is playing a vital role in bridging the gap between traditional education and the evolving demands of the modern workforce, and especially in today’s world, the need for continuous learning and skills development has never been more crucial.
Future Training Opportunities from the Skills Mecca:
The Rural Development Programme will specifically focus on the rural areas. The projects range from occupational literacy, bakery, hairstylists, nail technicians etc. These projects could assist young people to start their own businesses or grow professionally. Another programme that they are busy with is cell phone repair training, where the Skills Mecca have an agreement with the University of Technology (CPUT). It is a skill that is needed since everyone has cell phones. Young learners are given a starter pack with tools to repair cell phones, along with support to start their own businesses.
They will also be introducing coding courses to address the skill gaps needed in today’s digital world. There is also Early Childhood Development and Caregiver Training that will focus on informal settlements, targeting unemployed women providing daycare services at home. Additionally, learners can complete first aid training and receive a certification upon completion. Discussion also covered new training that the Skills Mecca will introduce, including Law Enforcement, Traffic Control, and other specialised training courses. These programmes will only be providing training to the learners.
Why Skills Development is Important and its Link to GCBR and MAB Youth:
The MAB Youth Forum is an initiative by UNESCO that aims to empower young men and women, enabling them to get involved in decision making processes and undertake actions that promote peace and sustainable development locally and globally. The forum is for young individuals aged between 14 and 35 who reside or work within a biosphere reserve and want to participant in voluntary activities and network with people. The Skills Indaba Programme aims to address the urgent need for skills development, particularly among South Africa’s youth, by fostering collaboration, promoting innovation, and empowering individuals through targeted skills development programmes aligned with job market demands. Both these programmes aim to empower young people through targeted skills development programmes, aligning their career choices with the demands of the insurance job market. Collaboration between these two initiatives supports the development of empowered and resilient youth in the GCBR region.
To learn more about the Skills Mecca Programme, click on the following link.