GEORGE NEWS - South Cape College principal Dr Tercia Terblanche shared some of their future expansion plans at the recent diploma ceremony of the college held in George.
They are looking to establish facilities where training, related to the renewable energy sector and 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), among others, can be offered.
She also said that they want to increase student opportunities through specialised, short skills programmes with a special focus on youth not in employment, education or training (Neet) and those living with disabilities. Expanding online, blended and distance learning is also being considered.
Enlarging central office and George Campus
The immediate plan is to construct additional facilities on the first floor of the central office building at 125 Mitchell Street in George. Here a hairdressing training facility and salon, hospitality training facility and a restaurant, and a cosmetology and beauty training facility and salon are to be built.
At the George Campus at 46 Hibernia Street, the following facilities will be constructed: a wholesale and retail Seta assessment centre, computer laboratories, modernised technology-driven theory classrooms, ablution facilities, a student entrepreneurship centre, and a student cafeteria.
Additional land or buildings needed
Terblanche said construction at the existing George campus can only go two floors up and suitable land is being sought where new infrastructure can be built for new training programmes.
"The college unfortunately has no additional land in George to expand to since George Municipality is no longer able to donate the land to the college that was earmarked for the college. This is because the college could not secure funding to construct the new campus within their required timeframes."
The land in question was located at the western entrance of the city on the R102.
However, the college is in the process of requesting donated land from the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and Western Cape Provincial Government. "It is a work in progress to acquire additional land or buildings. Our college is solely dependent on income from the Department of Higher Education and Training, the various Setas and other private donors to expand our footprint."
The college wants to increase access to students in its coverage area, namely the Garden Route, Kannaland and Central Karoo districts.
Terblanche said the college will continue to expand industry partnerships. "This supports work-integrated learning, which increases student employability and helps with the development of critical skills that are valued in the workplace."
There is a definite need for trained people in the renewable energy sector and the college needs solar, wind, hydrogen and biofuel energy training facilities. A business process outsource centre is also required. The college is furthermore working on strategies on how to include programmes related to the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) which would require workshops for robotics, coding and mechatronics.
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