FASSET ANNUAL REPORT

ANNEXURE B SUCCESS STORIES

Career Awareness Roadshows in Covid-19 times A key partner in delivering FASSET’s career awareness interventions is Nzalo Careers, an SMME that specialises in careers and leadership, especially for learners from rural backgrounds. Nzalo’s vision to ensure learners have equal access to opportunities and that they are equipped with the necessary skills to transition from high school to tertiary education. The company works with Life Orientation (LO) specialists and the SETAs to provide career expos, road shows, teacher training for leadership and training to tertiary students and graduates for work readiness. Through its partnership with Nzalo, FASSET supported and participated in 127 interventions against a target of 260. We participated in the Nzalo Virtual Careers Roadshow in KwaZulu Natal at which educators facilitated career guidance with the learners along with different format initiatives such as virtual exhibitions hosted by Nzalo with other partners such as UNISA and our SETA family. As a supplement to these initiatives, FASSET provided career awareness toolkits for those learners in the rural areas with no access to connectivity. In combination with the above interventions, FASSET continued to make use of its online presence on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram to spread awareness on career path options in the FAS sector. Posts during this period aimed at not only sharing relevant career building information but also motivate learners during uncertain times. Through these new virtual intervention formats, FASSET was able to reach and interact with more than 21 000 learners from Grade 9 all the way up to postgrad levels of study. To deal with the constraints and impacts of the pandemic, Nzalo Careers adopted alternative service delivery methods using online platforms. Founder and Director of Nzalo, Sedzani Netshitenzhe said:

our virtual and screen events instead of the excitement of live expos. We provided WhatsApp networking support and the feedback was very affirming. Learners were inspired and were getting the message. The fact that the videos could be replayed meant that they could really integrate their learning. It also lifted the burden normally placed on LO educators” For Nzalo the move to using online and virtual platforms for career awareness initiatives exponentially improved our reach and engagement levels with learners as seen in the table below. These initiatives achieved great interaction and career guidance dialogue with school pupils and students in the different levels of academia. The Nzalo Careers roadshows in the 2020 academic year included: Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Mabopane, KwaZulu Natal, Taung, Middelburg, Makhado, Vryburg, Malamulele, Mathibestad, Witbank, Botshabelo, Klerksdrop, Thaba Nchu, Siyabusa, Thohoyandou, Mahikeng Tsolo. Nzalo specifically targeted these locations because they are less serviced with carrier options and information for learners. Below are some images from live career awareness events that combined the use of social media platforms and career awareness tool kits as seen on FASSET’s social media platforms. Year Total learners reached 2019 2020 9 059 18 734

“Initially we were unsure as to how learners would receive

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