Johannesburg: 26 October 2016
Early exposure of young people to possible future careers in any field of occupation in life remains key to sustainable, orderly education, training and skills development and the staging of this year’s Transport Week, currently underway at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg; is in keeping with this truism.
Transport Week 2016, held in the month of October to dovetail with South Africa’s ‘Transport Month’ is a week-long career expo and exhibition intended to share information with thousands of foundational level students on careers available in the country’s transport subsectors; rail, air, road and sea. (For video highlights Click Here)
Among key participants at the careers expo are the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), rail operator Gautrain Company and about 20 others from both the public and private sectors.
No less than 6000 pupils from Gauteng schools in an around Johannesburg – about three quarters of them being high school pupils – are scheduled to attend the event over the five days during which they will interact with as many as 40 presenters in short classes averaging 30 minutes per session on careers information.
At kick-start on Monday, Deputy Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga officiated, walking about the centre interacting with both the exhibitors as well as the first group of about 380 pupils present during the morning session.
According to SAMSA, organizers of the maritime sector expo section, and first time participants in the annual transport sector career expo during October; the event provides opportunity also for maritime sector key role-players to share directly with other role players in the transport sector critical information about skills development in the maritime subsector to help youths make informed decisions about their future careers.
Since 2012, the Maritime Industry Focus Week organised through a partnership between SAMSA and Sci-Bono Discovery Centre was held separately during the early part of the year.
“The main purpose of the Transport Week is to help guide the learners towards realizing the importance of various career prospects within the transport sector inclusive of information on bursaries, learnerships and employment opportunities that are available.
“It is also to raise the awareness also of educators so that they can become ambassadors and carry on instilling an interest in the learners to consider choosing a career in trasportation.”
Sharing of information with learners on the maritime sector includes aspects relating to the country’s Operation Phakisa (Ocean Economy) programme.
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