The Nedbank Foundation agreed to a request to extend the solar water heater installation and maintenance project by a further 6 months, using left over funds that were still available at the end of the placement period. The 10 candidates who did not get absorbed into the work place have been taken by Burgess and Partners Plumbing Services for a further 6 months. This will give them additional work exposure and will add to their workplace-based learning experience, increasing their chances of gaining employment at the end of the extended period. A briefing with employers that are continuing on the extended placement was held this week at the NBI to agree on a defined programme for the duration of the extension. The briefing session was attended by Plumbcrew (via Skype), Phuthanang ma Afrika, Johannesburg Plumbing and Burgess & Partners. The 7 candidates that have shown potential to be entrepreneurs were also invited to attend and it was agreed that they will be given more focused support over the next 6 months. Both the employers and the candidates expressed their satisfaction with the project so far and pledged even greater commitment to the model being developed and tested via the project. More details on the briefing will be provided in an NBI Quick Brief that will be published next week.
