In August, 25 young people from Cape Town/South Africa had good reason to celebrate: they successfully completed the first part of their Kolping training programme.
The unemployed youngsters had worked on their strengths, their self-esteem and they had formulated goals that they wanted to achieve. This is a completely new situation for many young adults – because often for the first time in their lives they are the center of attention, are asked about their wishes and are given the chance to gain skilled employment, even if they dropped out of school. Kolping helps young people to enter the job market. Besides learning in the courses how to manage a job interview, they are also taught so-called “soft skills” such as perseverance, active listening, working in a team. Psychologists and social workers look after the young people.
Holistic Support
“Kolping’s Life Skills training programme doesn’t just impact my own life, but also that of my family,” says participant Marylee Michels happily. “I am now in a better position to deal with life situations and make informed life decisions. My communication skills have also improved.”
Now it’s time for the second part, the practical part: graduates of the WOP course are given the opportunity to work in their chosen occupation and do an internship, e.g. in home care, catering or office management. In the three-month courses, they are “made fit” for a job or training position. Those who want to work as a nurse, for example, start with a job in home care and then see whether they like the job and what steps need to be taken to get a training place in a hospital. The internship often results in a permanent position, for example in the catering industry. Some graduates are even motivated enough to go back to school to get their school-leaving certificate in order to pursue their dream job.
