by Hugh C.n. Miller | Feb 21, 2019 | Old News
Ariellah Rosenberg, CEO of ORT SA writes about how to prepare ourselves and the next generation for the unknown future workplace.
It seems that the more technologies bring relief and comfort to our life, the more we get confused about what the future holds for us.
I remember myself, as a child in the seventies, getting excited about TV broadcasting in colour, waiting anxiously for my favourite programme, which I could only watch on a specific day and time. Nowadays? The internet has brought about changes that impact on everything we do. Open Source Technology has enabled us to watch our favourite series anytime that suits us, anywhere, as long as we hold a device with connectivity.
Whether we are baby boomers or Generation X, we can witness the difference between us and Generation Y and Generation Z – those who were born into the mobility of technologies and their ubiquitous manner (presence everywhere or in many places simultaneously). Technologies have transformed how we trade, how we communicate, how we monitor our health and our finances. The list goes on and on. The internet changed the way we talk to each other (no need to talk, there is WhatsApp), the way we let everyone know about a special event (WhatsApp Groups) and even the ways in which we buy presents (online shopping).
What does this mean for the workforce of the future? The thing is, that we do not really know what the future will look like due to the continuous exponential growth of technologies and how they endlessly impact our lives in ways we never imagined.
The present schooling system was formed during the 1st Industrial Revolution to equip a specific kind of workforce. Moving from hand production to machines required workers that fit the manufacturing industry. This is different from what is expected to evolve through the 4th Industrial Revolution. But this same 250- year old set-up for education delivery is still used nowadays and everyone agrees that it is not relevant to the workforce of the future. How can we as educators, policy makers and parents adjust to those changes? I believe the answer lies in three fundamental factors:
Personal Development, Mental Development and Equipping young learners with the basic skills of coding and programming.
For details, see our following blog post.
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Dec 20, 2018 | Uncategorized
Despite the political and economic instability of our landscape, ORT SA gathered momentum almost from the start of 2018 and as we journeyed through the year, ORT SA’s achievements continued to grow and our Vision of ‘Educating for Life’ and Mission of ‘Making People Employable’ becoming more and more tangible. It turned out to be an excellent year!
So, thank you to our donors, funders, suppORTers and followers. We are so grateful for your support. Your willingness to assist has played a vital role in the growth of our organization and goes beyond just pure numbers, as lives are impacted. Without your engagement and partnership we could not have helped 6 800 beneficiaries this year.
Achievements:
59 post matrics gained an average 92.5% pass rate in the Second Chance programme (rewriting of matric mathematics and science). As a result of ORT SA’s intervention, almost half of these students have just completed their 1st year at university!
600 primary and high school pupils in ORT SA’s Extra Mural Coding Clubs, up from 200 Grade 4-8’s in 2017
60 teachers completed the introduction to coding course with ORT SA
200 youth placed in a 1-year work experience positions
6 young women received bursaries to study Education through ORT SA’s affiliate, STET Foundation.
34 unemployed youth learned IT skills including the accredited Cisco IT Essentials
7 high school pupils obtained the Cisco IT Essentials certification
15 Disabled youth get a chance at learning how to run their own business
1285 people participated in an eclectic variety of talks and interesting events which took place at the ORT SA Academy in 2018. This includes an art exhibition, a ‘storytelling’ workshop, digital workshops, a work summit for youth, business training, captains of industry in the ORT SA Boardroom: Simon Sussman (Woolworths), Sylvester Chauke (entrepreneur), James Teeger ( Oppenheimer Trust),
1000 pupils celebrated Mandela Day with ORT SA and Sage
320 teachers trained in Mathematics
2408 pupils assisted in Mathematics in class by ORT SA Facilitators
450 high school pupils trained in New Venture Creation (to start and grow sustainable businesses)
323 Mentors for small businesses
47 new small businesses joined the ORT Jet training programme
TOTAL 2018: 6800
Other exciting happenings:
- A whole new look for ORT SA – a rebranding exercise in accordance with World ORT
- An historic affiliation agreement signed between the SABJE and World ORT
- Overseas visitors and overseas visits for ORT SA affiliates
- Fundraising events such as the first ever Spinnathon ™ in SA and the 45th ORT SA Golf Classic
- ORT SA archives and library organized by a volunteer librarian.
The NGO space world-wide is becoming increasingly more difficult to navigate. In South Africa, Education receives the most CSI funding which makes the competition fierce for non-profits. But with your assistance, we are up for the challenge in 2019.
Marcelle Ravid
Marketing and Communications Manager
ORT South Africa
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Dec 7, 2018 | Uncategorized
Abridged speech to teachers, pupils and guests by Ms Maureen Mthimunye, Director in the office of the DDG, Gauteng Dept of Education (GDE) at the ORT SA/Nedbank STEM function 28 November 2018
“ Making Things Happen for Future Generations”
“Who is the future Generation? Is it not the children and learners in our communities and schools? Then the future is here! We must create a new integrated, agile, sustainable and lifelong education system, that matches the needs of the future generation.
Studies are showing that millions of technology jobs will remain unfilled because of the lack of skilled workers, of course other jobs will be outsourced to automation.
Making things to happen can no longer be delayed or postponed. It is urgent for policy makers to look for an education system that will equip learners with the knowledge and the skills of the 21st Century, relevant to the transforming world.
Critical thinking, problem solving, working collaboratively and communication to name just a few are some of the skills required. Coding and Robotics can do that.
You have seen the work done by the learners [at the event] as you moved around their exhibitions. Our learners are smart. The projects are evidence of that. I constantly remind my teams that out learners are smart. All we need is to find the mechanisms that unlock that smartness. We need to find in the classroom, teaching and learning that provides opportunities for these learners to unleash what they are good and excelling on.
Gauteng is currently transforming the education space through innovative classrooms, technology devices for the learners and educators, Schools of Specialisation are the future this country needs.
We believe in teachers embracing skills such as Coding, we know this could have taken a lot of your time over and above your usual teaching and learning hours in your schools. You have in your efforts put aside the fears about working with Technology,
Your classroom will not be the same as yesterday, a total shift from book knowledge to high quality learning in the classroom, through Projects based learning, research, practical learning experiences of Mathematics, Science, Technology and Engineering subjects to mention a few.
Indeed you, [ORT SA] have created a new integrated, agile, sustainable and life long education practice competencies that matches the needs of the future generations.
As the GDE, we want to truly convey our gratitude to the ORT SA CEO, Ariellah Rosenburg, the whole team of management and facilitators. All the schools, the managers, educators and learners involved in Coding are a huge milestone achieved in our province.
Thank you.”
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Nov 22, 2018 | Uncategorized
There are very few organisations that are able to effectively combat social issues faced in many communities, including unemployment. ORT SA seamlessly manages to do this through its various programmes while producing measurable results.
The collaboration between ORT SA and the YES (Youth Employment Services) campaign has ensured that 200 young hopefuls have been placed into companies and schools as administrators for a 12-month workplace experience, that maximises their potential. The collaboration has created an essential platform for youth to develop their skills and tap into their potential.
Hilda, Botlhale and Thabiso are interns at Puo Media which is a performing art’s school specialising in dance, music and drama at the Pretoria State Theatre. “The interns are learning on the job and are very useful to the company,” said their manager.
Nondumiso and Bongi are being trained to become young, successful all-round entrepreneurs as they are receiving the necessary exposure into the world of entrepreneurship through the Gooie Café food truck based in Sandton, Johannesburg. The owner of the food truck, himself an alumni of an ORT SA Business Training course, is confident that these two individuals will be equipped to begin their own businesses in the future.
A huge thank you to all the businesses that took on these young people, for the support in enriching the lives of others. From here on, it can only be onwards and upwards!
Written by ORT SA’s YES intern, Molebogeng Assegaai
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Nov 13, 2018 | Uncategorized
In a classroom somewhere in Gauteng, a primary school pupil is staring out of the window, wondering what project s/he could come up with for his/her ORT SA Coding Club assignment.
Pupils aged 10-14 years old create ingenious projects that involve problem-solving, targeted at real life situations, which are presented at a glittering event each year.
Coding is the lingua franca of the future and ORT SA places emphasis on the importance of this skill as a critical element in the 21st century learning. In order to equip learners to create, use and consume technology ORT SA, with its partners Bidvest, Astron Energy, Nedbank and the Sage Foundation has implemented Coding Clubs as an extra mural activity in 20 previously disadvantaged primary and high schools across Gauteng, reaching over 600 learners.
“At the annual end of year ORT SA STEM event, Ariellah Rosenberg, ORT SA CEO said, “It is important to show-case what teachers and learners have achieved throughout the year. Their commitment to ORT SA’s Coding Clubs means that they invest many hours after school, dedicated to the learning and teaching of the language of coding, ” said Ariellah Rosenberg, ORT SA’s CEO
The projects that the pupils present at the events are only a sample of the total projects that were designed, researched and created by them with the support of their teachers and ORT SA’s facilitators.”
The project-based learning methodology directs learners to explore challenges in their communities and then try to solve them. For example, one of the designs is a tracker for children to combat child- trafficking challenges in townships. The pupils touched on a very pertinent problem facing their communities on a daily basis.
Other ingenious projects include: a vibrating walking stick for the blind, a bag that is illuminated inside when it is dark (for safety reasons when there is no electricity), a gate that alerts the school to anyone trying to bring in weapons (to avoid the alarming rate of violence at schools) and an administrative system that is based on fingerprints, (to avoid children ‘bunking’ from classes).
The methodology develops critical and analytical thinking skills, problem solving and collaboration. Furthermore, learners have to present their projects in front of a large audience, which develops their communication skills.
“These gained skills are in addition to the computational abilities, which are crucial for preparing the youth of today for jobs of the future,” said Mashudu Romano, Astron Energy Chairman and funder of some of the clubs, “STEM is so important. This is why Astron Energy is partnering with ORT SA. ”
“ORT SA is looking to expand this programme to more schools, in partnerships with the Department of Education, key stakeholders in industry and the corporate world. We are happy to meet the challenge set to us by Dr Aaron Nkosi, Director of Maths, Science and Technology and ICT at the Department of Basic Education, for ORT SA to take the lead for the incorporation of Coding into the national curriculum,” Rosenberg added.
“Whenever I observe these presentations, I am reminded that these innovations are generated by 10-14 years old! And this gives me hope for the future for this country,” she concluded.
ORT SA is an educational and training NGO and its mission is “Making People Employable”.
Written by Marcelle Ravid
