Atlantis, Western Cape, 14 February 2023: Twenty  high-achieving grade 11 Maths and Science learners got a little taste of what the working world is really like when they visited the Atlantis Special Economic Zone recently.

Sponsored by EWSETA and in partnership with FutureMe,  learners explored careers in the Energy and Water sector, with a big focus being in  the renewable Energy and Water sectors.  

Key speakers EWSETA’s CEO Mpho Mookapele, AtlantisSEZ Community Integration Officer Michael Webster, and BE AfriBusiness Founder and CEO Bradley Chetty introduced current and future exciting careers available in these sectors and how they play a key role in the growth of the South African economy and the people living here.

Ms. Mookapele emphasized to the learners the important role they will play one day, “You will solve the problems of the future. Many people are leaving South Africa in the midst of all the challenges, but this provides you with a fertile opportunity to get involved – be bold in whatever you do and don’t be scared to  take risks,” she said.  

After being encouraged by the speakers, the learners got a firsthand experience of working in a company during their visit to Everflo, a world class industrial refrigeration company that ensures its operations minimizes an environmental impact.

It was then onto the fascinating visit to the Witzands Aquifer in Atlantis, CapeTown.  Here the learners heard about the importance of protecting the country’s water resources, and the role the Aquifer plays in providing communities with clean water. And having boundless energy,  they took a hike up the dunes of Witzands.

To end off the day, EWSETA  shared good news with learners – to  inspire more young people to pursue critical careers in the sector, the SETA offering bursaries to learners who aim to study degrees linked to water and energy.

The Learning Journey is the last  in a series of events that was delivered as part of the 2022 World of Work partnership between EWSETA and FutureMe. The partnership also included participation in the Career Festival held on 15 September 2022, and a poster competition which saw the first prize winner awarded with R3,500 and their school, Bridgetown High School, winning R15,000.