Hazyview Digital Learning Centre officially opened

The centre will provide critical skills such as IT, tourism and English to communities from Hazyview and surrounding areas in the Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.

T-Systems donated R3.7 million towards the start-up of the centre, construction costs and the provision of HR and resources as well as curriculum alignment and assistance to ensure the centre meets the highest training standards. The HDLC will focus on those individuals that have left the school system early or mature students who have not been able to further their education due to economic and other constraints.

Programmes run parallel to schools

Says Gert Schoonbee, managing director of T-Systems in South Africa: "The HDLC epitomises not only T-Systems' but the country's emphasis on uplifting those in need with education which forms the cornerstone of any society," says Gert Schoonbee, managing director of T-Systems in South Africa.

The education programmes will run parallel to schooling systems, and provide access to education for rural learners. In addition, learners will obtain practical skills preparing them for the world of work, allowing them to compete in a global environment. The HDLC is managed by the GWF, an organisation committed to bringing positive educational interventions to rural South African communities.

Emphasising the centre's commitment to educational excellence, it employs, among others, retired educators who offer years of critical experience. These educators will work with and mentor young local educators.

Two computer rooms

Already 60 students aged between ten to 17 years are attending an afternoon programme that incorporates English, computer and life skills. The first adult ICDL computer training started in July with a class of 30 learners receiving training on fully equipped IT facilities which mirror the T-Systems-sponsored CIDA ICT Academy in Johannesburg. Over the course of the next couple of months, learner numbers are expected to grow to approximately 300.

The Hazyview Digital Learning Centre features a server room and two traditional computer rooms with 21 and 30 computers respectively. These have been networked and are connected to the Internet. The centre also incorporates a central area, with wireless connectivity, aptly called the Barn as it used to be an old banana barn. At the Barn, students can connect wirelessly with mobile devices such as tablets.

Additionally, the centre includes smart screens that are mobile for improved information distribution. The facility also includes student bathrooms that are wheelchair friendly.