News South Africa

Groen Sebenza: green skills development and job creation

The Groen Sebenza Jobs Fund Partnership Project is an initiative which aims to build capacity for conservation in South Africa, developing skills in the biodiversity sector whilst creating sustainable employment opportunities. As part of the pilot programme, 48 interns were welcomed to WESSA offices across the country on 3 June 2013.
Groen Sebenza: green skills development and job creation

WESSA is one of 32 environmental or biodiversity organisations, from all tiers of government, NGO and private sectors, who have joined Green Matter and SANBI to help implement the Groen Sebenza project. Financial support has been provided by the Southern African Development Bank and the project will involve the hosting of 500 graduate and 300 matriculant interns around the country over the next two and a half years. The project will offer them a significant opportunity to develop their environmental skills in the work-place.

Human capacity development for sustainable change

As an NGO, WESSA has worked towards environmental education and conservation in South Africa for the past 87 years. WESSA has a strong track record of delivering authoritative, holistic and pragmatic environmental interventions by working in strategic partnerships such as this one.

Groen Sebenza is perfectly aligned with WESSA's newly defined strategic direction, which is to focus on the implementation of highly effective human capacity development projects. Such projects serve as a catalyst for attaining sustainable social change, for promoting sound environmental governance and for delivering lasting environmental outcomes.

Groen Sebenza is a high-impact project that is expected to make a significant contribution towards South Africa's quest for more sustainable living. WESSA believes that the Groen Sebenza initiative is a unique human capacity building initiative which will transform the environmental sector. The organisation is proud to be hosting young, dynamic graduates who will be the future custodians of our environment.

For further information, go to www.wessa.org.za.

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