 Graeme Holmes of The Grahamstown Project and Ade Lusmore of Khanya signed an agreement in Grahamstown at the beginning of November The agreement has so far enabled three candidates to be identified, recruited, and trained in work skills in carpentry and woodworking. The trainees receive an allowance and protective clothing and they will be responsible for their own food and transport. This is a pilot project which will help us work out if sponsoring apprentices is a viable way to achieve our objective of building skills for life for disadvantaged young people.  Car guards earn a few rand per hour helping shoppers find parking places on the high street and making sure they aren't broken into. Who made it happen?A big thank you to Jane Bradshaw who connected the dots and brought everyone together. The three candidates have now started training with Rowan Engelbrecht of The Woodshed. They are Bongani Gqola, Zimasile Tyupu, and Sibosisu and were all previously members of the much maligned Makhanda Car Guard Club. Sibusiso was viciously attacked by a mob of thieves shortly before the pilot started and he sustained eight stab wounds. Talita Jacobs and Jane visited him at Settlers Hospital and the initial prognosis was that he’d be out in no time.
In addition to Rowan and Jane the local team comprises Talita Jacobs (Human Capital Development Specialist) and Cheryl Fischer (Project Management, Governance and Reporting) as well as Graeme Holmes. The training incorporates theoretical and on-the-job work experience, both hard and soft skills. It will be a platform for the young men to build work and career opportunities: crucially important in a small city with 75% unemployment. Aside from the hard-skills, it is the team’s objective that the young men develop and gain an understanding of a professional approach to working. This is just the beginning and we have plans for similar schemes next year.
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