Wholesale and Retail Schools of Excellence project launches this week

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The project is launched in KwaZulu-Natal, inpartnership with wholesale and retail companies, technical vocational education and training colleges and the Durban University of Technology. It will be rolled out within identified learning institutions in the KwaZulu-Natal province initially with the aim of promoting collaboration between the wholesale and retail sector and institutions of learning.

"The SETA is excited by this partnership with our stakeholder companies and institutions of learning, as we are heeding the call by the Minister for collaboration between these role players in skills development, which has been a challenge in the past. This collaboration will ensure articulation between universities and colleges and further address the stigma that colleges are a fall back education option," said Joel Dikgole, CEO of W&RSETA.

The overall approach of the Schools of Excellence will be to incorporate the work based learning programmes (WBLP) to the development of skills in the sector and will result in the enhancement of infrastructure within the public TVET colleges. So far, 500 students have been enrolled on the National Certificate: Wholesale and Retail Chain Store Operations on the NQF Level 2, an encouraging start to the project. Qualifications at higher levels are currently being developed to ensure that the learners can progress from the TVET to university system.

This project will further ensure that the wholesale and retail sector is provided with suitably qualified and experienced pool of students to address scarce and critical skills within the Sector. Job creation and entrepreneurship will be some of the added benefits of the project.

The SETA will be making its footprint in rural development, as learners from three colleges in rural areas and townships of Port Shepstone, Nongoma and Madadeni will benefit from the project.

Participants

The participating companies are:

• Boxer Superstores
  
• Spar
  
• Decorland
  
• MassDiscounters
  
• Mass Cash
  
• Check Out
  
• FG Knights

The participating learning institutions are:

• Durban University of Technology
  
• Mthashana TVET College (Nongoma)
  
• Majuba TVET College (Newcastle)
  
• Esayidi TVET College (Port Shepstone)
  
• Thekwini TVET College (Durban)

The W&RSETA aims to roll out this project nationally to make a significant contribution towards this collaboration.