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| Mr Daniel Johnson | BA (Hon) | Chairperson |
| Ms Janis Berard | BA TTHD | Vice-Chairperson |
| Mr Don Collier | CA (SA) CFA | Hon Treasurer |
| Ms Cathy Clarke | BA | Hon Secretary |
| Adv Wallace Mgoqi | B Soc Sc LLB | Hon President |
| Dr Joe Chikombola | MSc PhD (Ped) | |
| Ms Elaine Deas | ||
| Mr Anthony Dietrichs | COSATU | |
| Ms Nolitha Fakude | BA (Hons) (Psych) | |
| Mr Mthuthuzeli Khaye | BA | |
| Mr Nceba Mazamisa | BA BEd MEd | |
| Ms Nombeko Mlambo | ||
| Mr Tony Yengeni | MP |
The last twelve months has been challenging but rewarding. This has been our eleventh year of operation and the demand for the training that we offer has been as great as ever.
We have continued to run both day and evening classes from our premises in Cape Town, with 83 students graduating within the year. At the beginning of 1997, through our partnership with the National Access Consortium Western Cape (NACWC), we opened our doors at Sohnge College in Worcester. In rural areas, the need for bridging and practical skills training for employment is overwhelming and the BSDC course is offering its students a chance to gain employment in the office environment. As in Cape Town, the course lasts for 5½ months, is full time and intensive and includes 3 weeks of work shadow in order that the students may apply the skills they have learnt. Things have not all been easy, however, and difficulties we have encountered are that the black community traditionally have English as a second language, not Afrikaans, and that there are simply not as many jobs available in business in rural areas compared to the larger cities. We are actively addressing both these issues and it is encouraging that in the 14 months we have been in Worcester, more and more companies see the importance of our work and are willing to take students for work shadow and offer employment where possible. At the beginning of this year we started our third course in Worcester and currently have 23 students being trained.
BSDC has undergone major expansion in 1998. Our partnership with the NACWC has enabled us to start a pilot introduction to travel & tourism course from our premises in Cape Town, to replicate our offices skills course at Somafho campus in Gugulethu and to run a pilot one year N2 business studies course at St Gabriel's in Gugulethu. This has put huge demands on our staff in Cape Town who are managing these courses, but it is exciting to be able to offer further opportunities in order to address the growing need for further education and training in the disadvantaged communities.
The formula for BSDC's successful training includes a strong emphasis on the personal development of each individual student, the practical application of skills which are relevant to the constantly changing work environment, and the after care service it offers by way of a student affairs division which assists students in their job search. This formula has resulted in approximately 80% of our Cape Town students continuing to find permanent employment in the business environment and thus being able to support their immediate and extended families and helping to grow the economy of the country.
Despite our expansion through our NACWC partnership, our central operations in Cape Town remain dependent on private sponsorship which we continue to seek from corporates, trusts and foundations. It is not easy to access financial support when there is such a huge demand from so many NGO sectors for assistance, so we are especially grateful to all those who have lent their support to the work that we do. Their names are listed at the back of this annual report. Without sponsorships, the students who flock to apply for our courses would be deprived the opportunity of affordable, effective office skills training and denied the chance to become meaningfully employed, economically active citizens.
Don Collier Barbara Molteno Acting Chairperson Manager
The first group of Introduction to Travel & Tourism students, with teachers; January 1998
It is with pleasure that I present my report on the eleventh year of activities of our Centre. Attached hereto and to be read in conjunction with this report are the audited Annual Financial Statements for the twelve months ended 31 March 1998. Finance
BSDC operated at a deficit of R48,727 for the year under review as against a deficit of R36,495 in the previous year. As a result of this, financing the Centre during the year was at times extremely difficult. Our accumulated funds at 31 March 1998 stood at only R6,152. Thus fundraising continues to be an urgent and ongoing priority. I am happy to report that, subsequent to the financial year end, we have been able to acquire significant funding which will afford financial security for our operation well into 1999. Basis of Funding
We continue to be funded on the basis of private sector sponsorships. No direct state assistance is received. Sponsorships are canvassed by us from the business and funding communities and other supportive organisations. Students are called upon to pay only a nominal fee for their training.
During the 1998/99 year, 59 fulltime and 56 part time students were trained by us. The training cost per student in 1997/98 amounted to R6,623 per student as against R6,350 per student in the previous year. Expansion
With effect from January 1998 we expanded our operations significantly with the addition of three extra courses, viz. at St Gabriel’s in Gugulethu, at Somafho in Gugulethu and a travel and tourism course in Cape Town. The enrolment for these courses was 18, 20 and 15 respectively. We are very grateful to the National Access Consortium Western Cape, with whom we are in partnership for these courses and our Worcester campus, and who fund them. These partnerships will be reviewed at the end of 1998. The total number of students who will pass through our hands in 1998 is 220.
I extend our very grateful thanks to our sponsors whose names are listed at the end of this report. Without their support the Centre would simply not be able to continue. The climate for fundraising in South Africa continues to be extremely difficult and this aspect of our activities absorbs an inordinate amount of the time of our staff and directors. We believe we should receive financial assistance from the state and are continuing our efforts in this direction.
Don Collier
Hon Treasurer
During the 1997/98 financial year we were privileged to work with graduates from our Worcester campus. This proved to be an immensely rewarding experience, as our first rural outreach training programme to a severely marginalised community, and being able to see in them a transformation from a sense of hopelessness to a level of confidence and self esteem engendered by the acquisition of holistic entry level office and life skills.
The Worcester business community, initially slow to respond to our initiative, did rise to the occasion during this period and welcomed our students into their corporate environment for their three week practical workshadow training. Several of these students have been employed in the business sector in Worcester, either as temporary or as permanent employees. It has been particularly gratifying that some graduates gained enough confidence to move into the greater business world outside of Worcester and are starting careers for themselves elsewhere.
In Cape Town, this period brought with it particularly unconventional recruitment procedures. In many instances, affirmative action employees were being employed on a temporary or contract basis for months on end, rather than being offered permanent employment. The still disadvantaged communities remained long- suffering in this regard, displaying uncalled for tolerance and patience by working without security of tenure and the relevant benefits that permanent employment provides. Our graduates remained positive and committed and viewed these temporary/casual/contract structures as, at least, some form of income and, at best, a way of gaining valuable work experience.
At this time we discontinued the sponsors’ function which was designed to enable our students to host an event at which they could meet their sponsors, express their gratitude, and for the corporates to meet these beneficiaries at first hand and to see their investment at work. Due to poor attendance by corporates, we had no alternative but to discontinue the event.
The BSDC student affairs division is primarily concerned with assisting our graduates with the job search and all it entails. The supportive and nurturing environment created by the staff encourages and motivates them to use the resources available. Our latest tracking exercise, which is undertaken bi-annually, indicates that over the last 5 years 78,5% of our graduate students have found permanent, gainful employment in the business world. Coupled with our effective training programme, the unique “after care� service that we provide for our graduates has been an essential ingredient for BSDC’s success.
The employment equity legislation, together with continued support from the corporate community, will no doubt improve our already significant employment statistics.
To: All BSDC Directors From: Barbara Molteno Date: 12 October 1998 AGM & Strategy Planning Workshop
Please note that the date for the BSDC AGM has been set for WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER AT 12H3O AT BSDC, 45th Floor, 4 Loop Street. Office bearers will be elected and new members may be voted onto the Board, so please come with nominations and think about your role on the Board for next year – we need committed, involved directors who are available to help drive the organisation forward into a new developmental phase.
The rescheduled dates for the workshop with STEC have been set for 18 & 19 November, from 8am – 4.45pm on day 1 and 8am – 3pm on day 2, at 2nd Floor, Lucida House, Salt River . The facilitator is Truida Prekel, a lecturer in Business Science at UNISA for many years, who has considerable experience as a management consultant, has worked in the NGO environment and is currently working for a company called Synectics Africa. The workshops will run from 9am – 4 pm and you are strongly urged to attend for as much of the time as possible. The second day is of particular importance as this is when the decisions about how our relationship with STEC will be made.
RSVP for both the AGM and the BSDC/STEC workshop as soon as possible. We will need to know definite numbers and times of attendance for the workshop for catering purposes.