by Hugh C.n. Miller | Jul 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
When Madiba was guest of honour at the 1996 graduation of ORT SA Technology students, he said,
“One tool that will enable people to rise above their circumstances is education, particularly education that leads to the acquisition of marketable tools.”
We continue this legacy during the ORT SA Mandela Week by extending the opportunity to you to join us for 3 amazing webinars that will lead you to acquire marketable tools.
Join us by clicking here for the 3 webinars:
Tuesday 21st July 3 pm -4:07 pm: How to be a Cyber Ninja
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpf-ivrTgiE9afCQXGsAyzXm-ldtK8BIQ4
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Mar 16, 2020 | Uncategorized
Dear All
We are all aware of the pandemic of the COVID19 and understand that in this times of uncertainties, it is best to stick to regulations and keep ourselves and staff informed as much as possible.
Yesterday, in his address to the nation, President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the actions to be taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following is the list of measures announced by Cyril Ramaphosa:
https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/coronavirus-all-the-latest-news-about-covid-19-in-south-africa-and-the-world-20200312
- A national state of disaster is declared in terms of the Disaster Management Act.
- Travel ban on high risk countries from 18 March 2020.
- SA Citizens to not travel to high risk countries.
- Gatherings of more than 100 people is prohibited.
- Large events and celebrations are cancelled.
- Schools closed from Wed 18 March until Easter weekend.
- working closely with unis, colleges etc. to increase hygiene and put other appropriate responses in place.
- Businesses are called upon to take measures to intensify hygiene control.
- Surveillance and testing systems are being strengthened at hospitals.
- Partnering with the private sector to develop a tracing, tracking and monitoring system for all those affected by coronavirus.
- Calling on everyone to take various personal measures as previously stated (hygiene, elbow greetings, etc.).
- Package to be put together as a response to the economic impact of the disease.
- Establishment of National Command Council chaired by Pres to meet 3 times a week to coordinate responses to pandemic.
What are we doing at ORT SA
Our plan of action is guided by ensuring the wellness of our staff and of our beneficiaries. https://www.ortsa.org.za/summing-up-2019/ We will be examining the guidelines from government and WHO (World Health Organisation) on a daily basis and will take the necessary precautions to avoid contraction of the virus and ensure the safety of all. At the moment, government’s recommendation is to avoid gatherings of more than 100 people. We are planning to take extra precaution of not more than 40 people in certain workshops and on condition that at least one meter space is kept between each person.
Operations
- All our workshops and talks run by ORT Jet have been cancelled till further notice. The reason for this is that, at the moment, many of the people carrying the COVID19 have been overseas and many of the participants of these workshops have either been overseas or been in touch with someone that has been overseas.
- The training run by the ORT SA Skills Academy will carry on in smaller groups of up to 20-25 people per group ensuring safe distance from each other
- STEM training, carries on with IT Essential (a group of less than 20 people) and with the NW IT Bridging course (32 beneficiaries)
- We will re-examine the above on a daily basis
HR
While the office is to remain open and operational, we will try our best to ensure that staff keeps to the hygiene guidelines. Special attention will be given to higher risk employees (TB, Hypertension, Pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and Diabetes).
We advise that anyone hosting youth or beneficiaries for training or workplace experience adhere to these simple rules:
1. Washing hands regularly, don’t touch your face
The best method to prevent Coronavirus is by washing hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. Soap dissolves the fatty membrane holding the virus together and disintegrate when it comes in contact with soap and water. The way the virus spreads is through respiratory droplets (from a cough or a sneeze) getting into your nose, mouth or eyes. This is why it is recommended not to touch your face and cough into your elbow.
In addition, hand sanitizers will be available at central areas around ORT, including, at reception, for all training, in the upstairs area, at security hut and in our car.
2. Social Distancing
Minimise physical contact with others. Stop shaking hands (do the ‘CR elbow shake’) and don’t hug. Keep at least one meter from people in seating and meetings.
3. If anyone is feeling sick – speak to manager
If any staff experience any of the Coronavirus symptoms such as fever, coughing, problems breathing, they should alert their HOD or HR or line manager for further instructions or guidelines.
At the moment we are going with the motto that prevention is better than cure and putting measures in place to reduce the risk as much as possible.
Yours in education
Ariellah
CEO ORT SA
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Oct 23, 2019 | Uncategorized
Ariellah Rosenberg, ORT SA CEO welcomes guests to an end-of-year event:
“Welcome to ORT SA, members of the department of education, dear trustees of STET (Support Teacher Empowerment Trust), dear teachers and schools representatives, dear learners. We are happy to share with you this special occasion.
Today we are celebrating the achievement of completion of this STET funded Maths and Coding programme. With 81 teachers, impacting almost 4000 learners and the commitment of 15 student teachers dedicated to become part of the teaching profession.
To be a part of the ORT SA programmes, it requires dedication: the extra hours you have dedicated to learning, coaching and support in the classroom and the aptitude of a growth mindset as well as being open to constructive criticism.
We thank you for the opportunity to have taught you. When one teaches, two learn. ORT SA’s mission is not only to impart professional techniques, knowledge and skills in coding or math but I believe, to prepare you to continue learning and empowering yourselves, and then paying it forward by mentoring or coaching another fellow teacher or learner. That is our mission which we hope we have accomplished.
ORT turns 140 next year. ORT is an organisation, an institution and an idea. It is the idea that people must be autonomous in order to live a dignified life and that in order to achieve that autonomy one needs education, above all. Therefore, although ORT in each country and in each era adopts different forms, its spirit is the same – providing a quality education that allows people to access a dignified and independent life.
As the great Isaac Asimov said: “education is not something that one can finish.” We must prepare to live in a society in which learning will occur throughout life, in all places and at all times. We never know what changing technology and continuous learning will take, but we know that we will all have to learn and keep learning continuously.
Jorge Grunberg, the rector of ORT Uruguay University, said that the threat in this new world is not free trade or immigrants or robots. The threat in this new world is ignorance. Ignorance is the great barrier to cross into the 21st century.
An ignorant nation cannot be free. To neglect our education is to neglect our freedom and our prosperity. An ignorant nation is dominated by charlatans and demagogues. It is not our assets that will project us into the future, but what we do to cultivate the intelligence and potential of our youth.
I would like to thank Ricci and the STET trustees for believing in our mission and Moabi from DOE District supporting this incredible project. To our dedicated and passionate STEM team working tirelessly to ensure we achieve excellence in all that we do. And to all of you here today. Find your own path, but know that ORT will always be your home.”
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Jul 24, 2019 | Uncategorized
Welcome to ORT SA!
People who work for ORT SA share many things in common. They are passionate, innovative, professional…they hold onto ORT’s values but mostly are driven with ORT SA’s mission of making people employable and creating employment opportunities
We do that through our ORT SA STEM Academy: working with schools, through STEM education, IT, coding and leadership training, with the understanding that in order to equip the generation of today with the skills for tomorrow we need to start as early as possible.
We do so through our ORT SA Skills and Enterprise Development Academy with our post schooling programmes in IT, skills development and entrepreneurship with the understanding that to become employable one needs the skills, life skills but also work experience. This is why we partnered with the YES Campaign and also offer learnerships with different SETAs
Small businesses are a vital pillar which the country’s economy relies on, and ORT Jet ( a division of ORT SA) has assisted thousands of businesses with providing the tools and support to entrepreneurs and small business to become financially sustainable.
The ORT SA Eric and Sheila Samson IT Academy was established to bridge the digital divide of knowledge, skills and awareness towards IT career options. And becoming a Cisco Networking Academy has allowed ORT SA to offer hundreds of unemployed youth with IT tools and skills.
Our new Career Hub was created to expose people and youth to career options; to what the “jobs of the future” are all about, to let them explore their strengths, passion and future paths as well as providing experience and skills transfer to make sure they are ready and equipped for the workplace.
ORT SA prides itself with its affiliation to World ORT and its legacy of almost 140 years fulfilling its vision of ‘Educating for Life’ and impacting communities through education.
We help businesses with their BBBEE and fulfilling their CSI strategy or vision.
We help government with its efforts to improve education and skills development and we help businesses to improve their profitability and financial sustainability
Join ORT SA as a member, a Youth Club member, volunteer, donor, corporate partner or a beneficiary and be part of an organisation that uses the power of education to make a change in the world.
Ariellah Rosenberg
ORT SA CEO
by Hugh C.n. Miller | Jun 19, 2019 | Uncategorized
WHAT IF OUR ANCESTORS WERE INVITED TO A TECH SHOW?
By Ariellah Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer, ORT South Africa
If we were to organise an exhibition of current technologies and invite our ancestors and descendants from the past to attend, what would their reaction be?
Our forefathers walked in the desert for 40 years to reach their desired destination. Imagine! After all the suffering, starving and struggling in the harsh climate and tough terrain to find out that with ‘flying technologies’ they could have made the journey within an hour! Moreover, with global positioning satellite (GPS) technology, it would have been so much easier to navigate their way. And oh! How crazy they’d think we are, counting our steps, with IoT devices, and sending information to a ‘cloud’…not to ask for direction from G-d but to…monitor our health!
Imagine Florence Nightingale, known for founding the modern discipline of nursing, and a key figure in introducing new professional training standards for nursing, visiting a robot display to reveal moving machines replacing the service of human care. Japan’s aging population (30% of its population is older than 65), faces a crisis of shortage of human resource in eldercare. To resolve this predicament, robots have been placed in nursing homes. Robots that move, cry and cuddle are replacing the human work force, from lifting people from bed to entertaining them, with much success. The elderly absolutely love them!
All those involved in getting our internet to where it is today! Who would have imagined that with all the impact of the internet on our culture, commerce, communication and technology that it will also generate the biggest crime, globally? According to the latest information, cybercrime will cost the world more than six trillion dollars annually by 2021. It will be more profitable than the combined global trade of all illegal drugs!
However, if we had Isaac Newton or Albert Einstein entering some of the current classrooms, they’d most probably see no difference from their own classroom, a hundred or so years ago. They will also notice that not much has changed with teaching and assessments, using a curriculum that is mostly outdated with techniques and pedagogies that prepared children for the industrial jobs of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Companies invest in enormous amounts of research to explore the use and impact of new technologies in the global economy (McKinsey, World Economic Forum and so many other papers and reports have been published on the topic.) But what about education? Isn’t it time that we explore transforming education to keep up with the pace of change and to prepare our future generation for the world of work?
We now know more than we knew in the past on how children learn and we know that new technologies are transforming jobs as we know them. But we continue to skill our children for jobs that soon will vanish.
It is time that industries, corporations, governments and educationalists work together to transform education through updated policies, curriculum and implementation of technologies as tools to assist with the digital transformation. It is time that we start implementing the use of technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and IoT in emulating successful methodologies and incorporating them in our classrooms.
The return on our investment will be higher than any business will ever generate. And who knows, – the fruits of these investments could
be showcased one day in an exhibition featuring future technologies produced by our own future generation.
@Ariellah @ORT_SA
