by Hugh C.n. Miller | Oct 29, 2018 | Uncategorized
While South Africa is considered an entrepreneurial powerhouse in sub-Saharan Africa, its weakest link in terms of its entrepreneurial ecosystem does happen to be start-up skills. This poses the question, what skills can local youth be taught, in order to improve their appetite for entrepreneurship? Crucial skills that can be taught for the betterment of entrepreneurs include information gathering, organizational skills, rational decision making and oral communication skills, to name a few.
ORT SA continues to upskill aspiring entrepreneurs of all levels. Just ask ORT SA’s skills training facilitator, Rugare Gapare. He says that giving these youngsters business enterprise skills provides the opportunity for them to gain the relevant and necessary skills and tools and does so through experiential learning.
Some participants are active business owners and the benefits of these courses
Learning work ethics and etiquette, marketing and customer care
are life-changing. Self-improvement is key for those wanting to become entrepreneurs. This group showed a vibrant mix of knowledge and experience. Judging from their comments, the beneficiaries were certainly advanced by the training in various ways and are going to put into practice what they learned from the sessions.
Contact us on: info@ortsa.org.za or call 011 728 7154
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Oct 19, 2018 | Uncategorized
One of the main ways to eradicate poverty, defeat crime and reduce unemployment is through education.
One of the many stories that tells of what , why and how we do it at ORT SA.
When Ziyanda was approached to come up with a problem in her community and provide a solution that incorporates technology, it didn’t take long for her group to come up with an idea they thought was great! Designing a digital timetable that alerts the teacher that it’s time for class! It seemed to be a bit cheeky but it was a real problem for these pupils. With the help of Amini, the ORT SA Coding Coordinator, the group designed a digital time table to alert teachers and the principal if the teacher was absent. This invention was presented at the ORT SA end of yer event and received a standing ovation. You see, the group of girls were from Ivory Park,a township community situated north of Johannesburg, and they were 13 years old at the time!
There are many challenges facing us in education in South Africa, but ORT SA’s proactive approach to challenges allows us to build capacity at schools in Math, Coding and Leadership.We are now running Coding Clubs in 20 schools / 60 teachers with more than 600 learners across schools in Gauteng.
BTW, Zeanda will be traveling to Argentina at the end of the month together with 12 other learners and three teachers to an educational programme organised by Pope Frances and World ORT.
By Ariellah Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer, ORT SA
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Sep 26, 2018 | Uncategorized
The positive outcome of measurements between a pre-test administered at the beginning of the 2nd term and a post-test at the end of the 2nd term of this ORT SA Bidcorp maths programme in Ivory Park, north of Johannesburg, leaves no doubt that the year-end results are going to show a significant increase in both the average mark and % pass.
The programme commenced in 2017 and now supports 17 Grade 9 Mathematics teachers as well as 180 learners through an extra- tuition programme called the Learner Enhancement Programme (LEP).
The LEP component aims to provide support to selected Grade 9 learners, empowering them with mathematical skills that will enable them to maximise performance in mathematics.The learner intervention is focused on developing learners so that ultimately doors will open for tertiary qualifications for them in STEM fields.
The teacher development component seeks to improve mathematics outcomes in project schools, by improving curriculum delivery in the classroom. To achieve this, teachers attend preparatory workshop sessions where they interrogate curriculum content prescribed for the next period. To ensure effective implementation, they are also visited in the classroom for coaching and mentoring by ORT’s Mathematics experts.
With the continued support from the corporate, the project aspires to produce quality results at matric in 2021 which will pave the way for successful career paths for these young people.
ORT SA: Educating for Life, Making People Employable.
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Sep 13, 2018 | Old News
Ariellah Rosenberg & Avi Ganon hold up the O in the new ORT SA logo
ORT SA’s MAJOR REBRAND
Non-profit organisation, ORT South Africa has rebranded and introduced a new logo, it announced in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The announcement took place at the ORT SA Biennial General Meeting, in the presence of guest of honour, visiting World ORT CEO, Avi Ganon. Ellis Falkof was re-elected chairman and three new board members, who bring a range of expertise to the organization, were welcomed.
World ORT revealed their rebrand earlier this year when Mr. Ganon said, “ORT’s longevity (since 1880) is due to its ability to meet the most pressing needs of the time. Whether teaching crafts and trades in 19th century Russia, vocational skills to displaced persons after the Second World War, or, as today, being world leaders in STEM education, our rebrand reflects our goals to provide 21st century solutions to 21st century needs around the world. “
The stripped back logo, centred on the two-toned ‘circle of ORT’, where each half circle completes the other. The shape represents human connection, one universal globe and the way people come together for a larger good.
“It is with much pride that we reveal our new branding to the public – a branding which better represents the ORT South Africa of today and tomorrow,” said ORT SA CEO, Ariellah Rosenberg. “The new concept illustrates the continued importance of ORT SA today: working with humility and simplicity, through education, to hand individuals and communities the tools to exceed their potential, helping themselves and wider society.”
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Jul 19, 2018 | Uncategorized
Trust your intuition when choosing a career path
So, by now, you have adopted a growth mindset (Link to post 2), know the importance of acquiring broad skills rather than a single skill (Link to post 3) and you may ask yourself what now? I am still confused…
Many books have been written on the power of purpose, (Amazon lists more than 150K of them), the longing that each of us has to make a difference and live a purposeful life. So why don’t we start the search for our career path combined with our search for purpose?
It is time for deep reflection and working within. The following questions can be asked to help you find your purpose (the WHY for your existence).
Here’s some questions to ask yourself:
- Think about yourself as a child. What did you spend most of your time doing? What did you love doing?
- If you were a character in a superhero movie. How would you save the world? What will you save the world from?
- What do people come to you for advice for?
- In what areas do you feel comfortable to take risks in?
- What in the world makes you cry? What makes you happy?
Finding the purpose is mostly about how we contribute to the better of other people.
If you find this exercise difficult and not ready for this in-depth questioning. Start with a simple question… What is that you see yourself doing for the rest of your life that will make you jump out of bed every single morning?
We tend to ask what jobs will bring us a good and secured income but forget to trust our intuition regarding our existence in this world.
