Achievements to Date

During the past 19 years BSDC has provided training to over 2 000 youths, 90% of which are women, and has enjoyed an employment rate of 80% until 2000. As the number of employment opportunities decreased, BSDC introduced Entrepreneurial training and are encouraging youths to start their own businesses.

We regard our entrepreneurship course to be an extraordinary achievement. Students start their own small/survivalist business whilst on the course. Of the 93 students who completed their studies at BSDC during 2004, 44 are running their own businesses and all the rest are working!! In 2005, our 20 learners doing the entrepreneurship elective have grown and developed their businesses at a remarkable rate. Marlene, the entrepreneurship facilitator has spent time out of BSDC with this group, helping them source venues, markets, bulk ordering contracts etc. This group, more than any other, have justified the extension of Qhubela Phambili from a 6 months course to a year.

An entrepreneurship competition was held for Grade 10â€™s and 11â€™s at 5 of the â€˜township schoolsâ€™ during 2005. We provided a 2-hour general careers discussion for these learners at each school and guidance regarding how to write a business plan. 50 learners submitted business plans and after our entrepreneurship facilitator assessed these, the 12 winning learners were given a weekâ€™s course in lifeskills, IT and entrepreneurship at BSDC during the July holidays. It was so successful, that the 12 learners have opened up their own joint business â€˜Khanyisa young entrepreneursâ€™, a fruit and vegetable business which is mentored by the Centre Manager of BSDC, Celiwe Ngwenya.

Our Open Source initiative has proved immensely successful. During 2004, we converted our 25 pc training laboratory to Open Source using a thin client set-up. We received funding from Caltex who donated finance for the required server. Caltex and Foschini provided us with computers to replace the ancient models that had been in use in the laboratory as well as 10 to set up a computer resource facility for our ex-students to: access the internet and email, send out CVâ€™s and for small community businesses to run their accounts. Our learners have been trained on concept rather than package driven principles and it has proved enormously successful for the 2004 groups of students as well as the 2005 group who have just left for work shadow. They are able to transfer between Open Source and Microsoft easily and happily in true outcomes based education fashion!

ICDL (international computer driverâ€™s licence â€“ in Open Source) â€“ This is an internationally recognized, intensive, end-user computing course which our learners are doing on Open Source. 11 of our 2005 learners passed the demanding test required for entry onto this elective and have proved their mettle by producing assessments that out-perform some of the first year university students we have contact with.

Call Centre Training (Siyaya Phambili): After a pilot project during 2004 and in line with increasing demand in South Africa for call centre staff, we have introduced a call centre elective as an option for the Qhubela Phambili learners. Like the other electives, it requires 3 months training at the end of our full-time course. Once again, the learners who both self-selected and were selected for this elective are doing exceptionally well. They are being trained at Athlone School of the Blind, our call centre training partners who have accredited training and a 20 seat call centre. The trainers are ecstatic with our learners who are confident, communicative and displaying the benefit of their time at BSDC through their strong grounding in the basics. Of the 20 learners who are busy completing the call centre elective, already 4 have been placed on contract at Woolworths, and 1 at Edgars by our Recruitment Partners TSO (The Support Office).

Planning for self-sustainability:

Call Centre Training (Siyaya Phambili): During 2005, we have stepped up efforts towards self-sustainability by providing three 12-week call centre training courses (Siyaya Phambili) funded specifically by corporates and recruiters which runs in addition to Qhubela Phambili. We are partnering with Quality Solutions who provide the accredited call centre training at NQF 2 for Athlone School for the Blind and BSDC. We source our ex-students and individuals with disabilities for this training. The aim is for finance generated to be ploughed back into BSDC to provide funding for future full-time students at BSDC. Trans-Union ITC has generously provided sponsorship for some and workshadow opportunities for all the Siyaya Phambili students. This provides the experience component of the course and makes a distinctive difference to their confidence and skills level when they are job hunting. Of the 14 students who completed the first course all are placed! The second group of 15 have recently completed work shadow and already 10 have permanent jobs whilst the others are busy with interviews. Our Recruitment partner, The Support Office, have placed the majority of the students and provided assessments, coaching and support to them as they venture into the workplace. The third course started on the 3 October 2005 and this very enthusiastic group of learners are having fun and working really hard!

Siyafikeleleka call centre: We are also planning to set up a call centre to offer an outsourced call centre service for companies requiring it. The profits will be used to provide funds for BSDC. Due to the pioneering nature of this project and our intention to use Open Source, IBM have offered to partner with us and are donating state-of-the-art call centre equipment to BSDC. We are putting out proposals to funders to assist with the balance of the set-up costs and initial operating costs.

Strategic input from learners:

We consult with our learners on an ongoing basis.

Representatives attend the meetings of the Board of Directors to provide input and offer constructive advice and criticism.
They have a formal meeting with the lifeskills facilitator once a week both for assessment of their meeting skills and for information exchange.
Their course evaluations during the late 90â€™s resulted in the introduction of entrepreneurship to our course.
It has been as a result of learner course evaluations over the years and more specifically in 2003 and 2004, that we increased the course from 6 months to 1 year and included electives that increase the depth of their learning in specific areas.

Strategic input from funders and corporates:

We are in constant contact with our funders, the corporate world and relevant government structures. We have visited Gauteng on various occasions to attend conferences, meet with our major funders and corporate partners and do research into the call centre industry and open source computer systems.
Along with our learners, it is the changing requirements of Corporate South Africa and the International donors that have prompted the above adaptations to our course (see history of the curriculum).
We attend regular information sessions at the Services Seta to ensure our structures and procedures relating to SAQA are compliant.
We receive in-depth evaluations on our learners from the companies participating in our annual 5 weeks workshadow. The participating mentors offer constructive criticism, valuable suggestions and positive feedback which are utilized in our planning process.

Project impact - 2006

Qhubela Phambili (Office Admin Skills Programme)- 60 learners with matric will graduate with an intensive business bridging course at NQF levels 2 and 3 and electives from the following options: End-user computing (ICDL), Reception/Secretarial, Call centre training, Entrepreneurship.
Vulindlela (Bridging Course) â€“ 20 learners with Grade 10 or 11 will do a year of intensive life skills, entrepreneurship, IT and numeracy to prepare them for our usual one year course which they will then do in 2007.
At least 2000 Grade 12 learners will be provided with a motivational talk and career planning workshop
12 Grade 10 and 11 learners will be provided with a free 1 week computer, entrepreneurship and life skills introductory course for which they will qualify through a competition.
Conservatively, we expect at least 100 of our ex-students to utilise our computer resource centre for practising their skills, accessing the internet and e-mail.
At least 300 ex-students and community entrepreneurs will attend ongoing workshops on confidence building, job-hunting skills, small business management and budgeting.
A minimum of 90 learners will be put through the Siyaya Phambili 3 month call centre training course, though we are hoping to stretch it to 120 if they can be accommodated in the premises.

Evaluation of Impact:

The teachers used the July to December 2004 course as a pilot programme for 2005. They tested assessment tools, unit standard alignment, course material, practicality of outcomes and teaching methodology. A fully aligned assessment and moderation policy and system has been in use during 2005. The 2-hourly staff meeting once a week is the forum used to present findings, propose changes, and check progress. The market is constantly tested through increased contact with external organisations to ensure that material taught is up-to-date and relevant.

Formal assessments:

The timetable is in modular format, consisting of 7-week blocks with a 1-week break between the end of one and onset of the next, for assessment and evaluation purposes. The timetable has been carefully planned with IT and Entrepreneurship being the thread running through the full 7 months. The learners all start small businesses once initial introduction has taken place to provide a base of training (particularly bookkeeping), consolidate marketing and business plans, communication skills, etc. Unit standards covered are formatively and summatively assessed for completion by the end of each block. Their formative and summative assessments take the form of a variety of projects, assignments and portfolios of evidence. There are 5 registered assessors on the staff with 2 more awaiting results, and 2 moderators.

Practical workshadow assessment:

The workshadow phase is regulated by having formal outcomes which are required to be met, and organisations participating are asked to provide the opportunity for students to practice specific skills.

Learner tracking, support and assistance:

We are proud of our ability to keep track of all our ex-students. The Youth Advisory Centre tracks all ex-students to establish what they are doing and provide assistance when necessary. Ongoing workshops in confidence-building, CV preparation, interview skills and relevant entrepreneurship workshops are offered on an ongoing basis. This way we cement our relationship with our ex-students and simultaneously keep a note of their activities to provide to our sponsors. With our new open source system development, the whole process will be computerised and more easily accessible than the manual version has been.

Key problem areas faced by BSDC:

Funding: Funding was a severe problem up to 2004, as sponsor relationships had been poorly managed in the past, and the centre's 'marketing' had been inadequate considering the pioneering work that has been done.

To remedy:

Youth Advisory Centre staff and Centre manager have personally visited corporate businesses both to market the ex-students for placement and to discuss sponsorship.
The Board of Directors has become more personally involved in the fund-raising and activities at the centre.
The fund-raiser is working more closely with the Centre Manager and specific goals are being set
A dynamic website went on-line in mid-February 2005
See Strategic input from funders and corporates.

Workshadow: A variety of problems occurred during workshadow during 2004 with some students ineffectively mentored by companies and some companies unhappy with the level of the students. The latter reason has largely been the rationale for increasing the length of the course from 2005. We have found this year, that the skills level of the students is higher and the electives provide a definite â€˜value addedâ€™ as far as employers and workshadow participants are concerned.

Encouraging Entrepreneurship: One of our main challenges is to persuade the learners that they have the capacity to run their own businesses successfully. There is a mindset of a 'job at all costs' even when they come onto an entrepreneurship course!