Students who received their qualifications at iCollege in Thohoyandou on Friday were told not to wait for the government to give them jobs, but to use their acquired skills to create jobs for themselves and their own communities.
During the college's fourth diploma and cerificate ceremony held at the Thohoyandou Art Centre, more than 140 students received qualifications in the fields of business administration, public administration, human resources, project management, call centres, wealth management and tourism. Ecstatic parents ululated and whistled as students ascended the podium to receive their qualifications.
The guest speaker, Shumani Phundulu, said that the students had made the right choice in life by studying for qualifications that would not only help them, but even their communities. "Our country needs skilled people and the skills you have are a good foundation for you to face this challenging world."
Phundulu urged them not to stop learning, as what they have is just a foundation.
For the 23-year old Lufuno Lumadi of Block F in Thohoyandou, who received an IT qualification, the day was the most memorable."This is a good foundation for me. If I can only get a learnership where I could put my skills in practice, I will open my company and employ others," she said.
College branch manager Peter Sebola said the college had helped many disadvantaged youths in terms of skills through their free scholarships. "With the country having an acute shortage of skilled people, we are here making a humble contribution to ease this scourge. We have already trained many and some are already making an impact in the development of the country's economy," he said.