Laptops a boost for young EC community college scholars

Connectivity challenges faced by an Eastern Cape college will soon be a thing of the past after it received a donation of 20 laptops from the Energy and Water Seta (EWSETA) at a ceremony in Mdantsane on Thursday.

The Eastern Cape Community Education and Training College received 20 laptops for their lecturers, to increase connectivity and improve ICT infrastructure for community learners.

College principal Mbuleli Mdunyelwa, said: “We are very excited what EWSETA has done for us, because we have 272 learning centres around the province and we were struggling to get sufficient resources.”

Mdunyelwa said they had 30 main centres which would collect information from satellites to benefit the college.

This would mean the college could report directly to the department of higher education, especially on the activities and programmes that they provide.

“This is a huge inroad in what we are doing, as the college is closer to communities.

“It has not yet been given the advocacy it deserves, because it only started in 2015 when we migrated to higher education.

“With these laptops, our students will be better capacitated to participate in online learning.”

CEO for the EWSETA, Mpho Mookapele, said they had entered into a collaborative agreement in December 2020.

“Seta’s mandate is to capacitate the workforce to participate in economic activities of the Eastern Cape province.

“The people of the Eastern Cape must build their province and they can only do that when they are empowered.”

EWSETA has identified the Eastern Cape as a strategic province based on challenges and opportunities.”

Mookapele said EWSETA was intent on assisting SA’s CET Colleges with infrastructure development activities and projects.

“We urge CET Colleges to apply for discretionary grant funding during the DG application windows that are widely publicised on our digital communication channels.”

Student Sikelela Sidibaza, said: “We have been struggling to get the information which will assist us in our curriculum.

“The lecturers will make it easier for us, because gaining internet access is a struggle, as we cannot afford it.”

Deputy director-general of the department of higher education & training CET branch, Thembisa Futshane, said the department did not have enough funds to run the programme, which was why they partnered with EWSETA.

“We also partnered with them for the resources and exchange of technical skills.

“The main and community learning centres are our focus, because we want to make sure all our staff benefit. We will shift the focus to students when every lecturer has received a laptop.”

DispatchLIVE