Construction World August 2018

MARKETPLACE

Copyright : TEMISTOCLE LUCARELLI

INDUSTRY GOING FOR GOLD

internship at their company in Phase Two (post schooling gap year). The benefit of the Phase Two year is that it allows youth to work at Go for Gold partner companies for a year, receive a general work- ers salary and on weekends attend bridging classes in Maths and Science to better prepare them for tertiary-level Maths and Science subjects. The Phase Tow year allows beneficiaries to accurately choose their course of study, based on practical exposure they experienced in this year. The Go for Gold Phase 2 year was recently recognised at the ‘Africa Talks Conference’ organised by NEPAD where Go for Gold’s Fundraising and Communications Manager, Karen Rademeyer presented the Education-to-Employment model to 55 African Union states in Addis Ababa. Concerns at the conference highlighted the non-preparedness of youth to choose a course of study, often failing first years at tertiary institutions and wasting bursary investments. Go for Gold was able to share their four-phased approach to youth development which yielded great interest from conference attendees. Go for Gold was able to highlight that the benefits for the Phase Two year also extended to Go for Gold partner companies who enjoyed Go for Gold strengthening their bursary investments with the bridging classes in Maths and Science and allowing companies to invest in youth they have already worked with. The remaining Go for Gold phases include tertiary studies in Phase Three and qualified technical graduates returning to partner companies in Phase Four for employment. This year the Go for Gold Annual Industry Fundraising Dinner and Auction event was hosted at The Westin Cape Town on 14 June 2018. Go for Gold partners from the built environment companies continued to show their passion for youth development and creating future leaders for industry by attending the NGO’s event, despite the tough economic climate the industry is currently in. The Go for Gold partners in attendance included Amandla Construction, Asla, Avenge Grinaker-LTA, Burger and Wallace, Civils 2000, Concor, Engineering Council of SA (ECSA), Haw & Inglis Civil Engineering, Triamic Con- struction, Martin & East, Master Builders Association WC, Peri Form- work, Power Construction, Prime Projects, R & N Master Builders, RMD Kwikform, Smart Civils, Stefanutti Stocks Corporate Services and Whiteheads Painting Contractors. Among the audience included esteemed guests that work with these built environment companies and Go for Gold donors. 

G o for Gold * is an award-winning ‘education-to-employment’ public-private initiative, founded in 1999 through a collaboration between companies in the built environment, the South African Department of Education and civil society. It was created to directly improve the number of young people, from disadvantaged communi- ties, eligible to study towards a technical profession and then secure employment in the built environment and related industries. Each year Go for Gold celebrates industry participation and garners support for their beneficiaries at the Go for Gold Fundraising dinner and auction. It is an annual event boasting attendance by Go for Gold partner companies all of whom are major players from the South African Build Environment; many of whom have supported the four phase Education-to-Employment programme since 2005. Go for Gold partners support youth on each of the four phases of career development. The supportive journey begins when Go for Gold beneficiaries are in Phase One, their Grade 11 and 12 year where Go for Gold provide students with Maths and Science tuition, Leadership Development training and provide exposure to careers at Go for Gold partner companies. Partner companies sponsor unemployed youth to receive the benefits that Go for Gold provides to these students. When the students are in Grade 12, partner company HR Managers interview students for placement at their company for an experiential With skills development and high youth unemployment being contentious issues in post- Apartheid South Africa, most prevalent of the concerns are aspects that adequately prepare youth for employment. Youth, especially from marginalised communities need support more than before, particularly in Maths and Science subjects in order to support future career aspirations. *Currently Go for Gold operates in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Eastern Cape regions and possesses the ability to expand all over South Africa.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD AUGUST 2018