At least 20 Bronkhorstspruit community members obtained their certificates after they completed their Adult Education Training programme at an education facility sponsored by Canyon Coal’s Khanye Colliery.  The graduation ceremony for the National Qualification Framework Level 1 training was held at Khanye Colliery in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng on 30 November 2021.

Adult Education forms part of the skills development commitment within the Social and Labour Plan (SLP) for Khanye Colliery. AET aims to develop the local community by improving the level of education of residents. The programme offers all eligible employees and community members opportunities to become functionally literate and numerate.

City of Tshwane Deputy-Director of Community and Social Development Services Gregory Koketso Sebothoma, who attended the ceremony, stated that the mine has planted the seeds of success. “This graduation ceremony should be viewed as the beginning of the learners’ educational journey and not the end of the story,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the graduates Maladeria Maseko (21) from Zithobeni thanked Canyon Coal for the training opportunity. “We have gained new skills and knowledge which will help us go forward in life,” he said.

Menar SLP manager Nthabiseng Ocia Mueti pointed out 66 learners from the community had benefitted from Khanye Colliery’s AET programme from 2018 to date.  “The programme advocates for progressive learning. It provides the foundation for acquiring the knowledge and skills required to access further qualifications and training,” she said.

Mueti noted that in 2020 Canyon Coal encouraged more in-house retraining and skills upgrading of employees and community members. “This included the R267 500 renovation of the onsite Khanye Colliery training facility for AET programmes,” she said.

Mueti commended the graduates for striving to empower themselves educationally. “There are individuals within the community that could not complete school. The AET programme provides an opportunity for such individuals to become functionally literate and numerate and increases the opportunities of further enrolling for other skills development programmes and employment opportunities,” she stated.

The graduation ceremony was held in strict accordance with COVID-19 Alert level 1 regulations which included the wearing of face masks, maintaining physical distances of 1. 5 metres and observing social gathering number limitations.