More gap year students fly to Cape Town South Africa

Students are most likely to fly to South Africa on their gap year, according to new research from the Year Out Group.

Figures from the not-for-profit organisation revealed that the country was closely followed by Canada and Kenya as the most popular countries for structured gap year placements.

Commenting on the findings, Richard Oliver, chief executive of Year Out Group, said that more gap year students were booking flights to their gap year destinations.

"The number of individuals embarking on volunteering projects, expeditions, structured work placements, courses and cultural exchanges is on the increase - Year Out Group members alone sent nearly 47,000 people on gap year schemes in 2007," he said.

The findings also showed that the UK is no longer placed inside the top 12 destinations, as more adventurous students look to fly further afield.
 
Peru, Tanzania and India all remained popular, while Ecuador and the US saw an increase in the number of British students taking a gap year there.

A report in the Guardian earlier this month suggested that fewer students may take gap years in the future in the face of rising rents at university and an uncertain financial future.

Courses in South Africa

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South African Writers College offers writing courses

We have been running our courses for several years, and most are tutored by multi-award-winning South African writers - at an affordable cost. All our courses are one-on-one over a period of at least five months, and we aim to train writers from every corner of South Africa.

We also offer two full bursaries per year, and run two national writing competitions.

Henrietta Rose Innes and Jo-Anne Richards - Write A Novel Course.
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, one-year online course with one-on-one guidance and training by award-winning writers) Tel: 021
433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Helen Brain's Write A Children's Book Course -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a 12-month online course with one-on-one guidance and tutelage by award-winning author, Helen Brain)
Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Janie Oosthuysen's Skryfgeheime Vir Kinderboeke -
admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (an eight-month online course with one-on-one guidance and training by the multi-award-winning children's book author, Janie Oosthuysen) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Ginny Swart: Short Story Writing Course - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a six-month online course with one-on-one tutoring by Ginny Swart - the multi-award-winning writer) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

Peter Cross: Write A Non-fiction Book - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a twelve-month online course with individual tutoring by author and journalist, Peter Cross) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

SA Writers' College - admin@sawriterscollege.co.za (a national, online writing school for career training and for creative writing enthusiasts.
All courses offer at least five months of one-on-one training under a top South African writer.) Tel: 021 433-2879; enrol at www.sawriterscollege.co.za

for more writing courses goto www.courses.co.za

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SETA, BEE and skills development

 Having established how much the business needs to spend, the next step is to consider what to spend the money on so it will count as contributions to transformation. This section provides guidance on what the company may and may not include as skills development spend. The term “skills development spend” is defined, meaning that unless the spend meets the definition, it will not be included in the measurement.

This means the measured entity may not include anything that does not meet the definition of “skills development spend” in this measurement. The definition is broad but specifically excludes the skills development levy paid to the industry SETA. The business has to pay an SDLA levy over and above this. The targeted BEE skills development spend is 2% of the leviable amount.

 

The skills development spend includes any legitimate expense incurred for a learning programme that can be substantiated by an invoice or appropriate internal accounting record. Although not a requirement of the Codes, learning programmes that do not issue written certification of attendance and completion should be encouraged to provide written confirmation of the employee’s enrolment and achievement.

Legitimate training expenses that can form part of the skills development spend include:

costs of training materials

costs of trainers

costs of training facilities, including catering

course fees

accommodation and travel costs

administration costs relating to training, including the costs of a skills development facilitator or a training manager

The salaries and wages of employees participating as learners where the learning programme falls into category B, C or D of the learning programme matrix or qualifies as a learnership. The Codes do not define the term “learnership”. Previous drafts of the Codes refer to the definition as provided by the Skills Development Act, which is a SETA-accredited learnership.

As described previously, examples of learnerships include apprenticeships, professional articles or internships. Section 3.7 says the cost of the salaries of Black learnerships may be included in calculating the skills development spend.

While the rationale for including this spend is understandable, the unintended consequence is a crowding out of the intended objective of this element. Many businesses based on professions or trades will reach the target without having to contribute anything further to skills development, thus undermining the element.

scholarships and bursaries, unless the measured entity can recover the expenses from the employee or the grant is conditional. The bursary or scholarship may still be recognised if the condition imposed is the:

successful completion of the course within the allocated time period

continued employment with the measured entity for a duration less than or equivalent to the period of the bursary.

Scholarships and bursaries are only recognisable in skills development where they are granted in favour of an employee, meaning that the candidate is either studying part-time or has taken extended leave to complete a specified course. School leavers who have not yet worked for the measured entity but have been granted a bursary to complete tertiary education will be recognised under Statement 807 / 700 Socio-economic development.

Course information at www.courses.co.za

SETA Information at www.vocational.co.za

 

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Arabella Golf Course and School

The Cape based Arabella Golf Club is not only known for its superb facilities, but also for the prestigious golf school “ Alison Sheard Golf Academy”. At this well known Arabella golf school, golfers can learn how to play golf or improve their game. They offer various golf lessons and group clinics no matter how old you are.

The Arabella golf school offers half an hour, one hour, and advanced one to three day golf courses.

The head pro of the Arabella golf school or as it is widely known Alison Sheard Golf Academy is no other than Alison Sheard, holder of 9 SA Open wins. She is reputed for excellence and an excellent track record as well as experience. She is also a founding member of the Women’s Golf Association in Europe.

The teaching division of the Arabella golf school offers exciting holiday clinics for school going golfers and then the ladies can brush up on their skills in the period of November to May.

Contact details:

Alison Sheard Head Professional In season (October – April)
Tel: +27 28 284 0105 or 082 299 2152
E-mail: golf@arabellawesterncapehotel.co.za

For this and other types of courses goto www.courses.co.za

Kayak Courses

This is an action packed, adrenalin pumping 2½ fun filled days where we teach you: the Eskimo Roll, Paddle Strokes, Boat Control, River Reading and basic River Safety as we paddle along the wild and scenic Vaal River. No kayaking experience necessary and all equipment is provided.

Perfect weekend fun for all healthy moderately fit male and female, families, couples, singles. And groups, from mid-teens and upwards.

• We practise the following skills:
• Paddle strokes which are briefly explained on land.
• The “wet exit” procedure is explained on land and in the pool by the instructor. You then get the chance to get wet in the pool by practising the “wet exit” and also get the chance to perfect your boat emptying skills. During the “wet exit” procedure, the correct swimming position is also explained.
• Following the “wet exit”, you “the kayakers” move on to the Eskimo-roll. This includes practicing hip-flicks and also assisted rolls and unassisted rolls. Great fun!

After this session attention will be given to understanding the river and also how to read the river and to identify possible hazards. The Saturday session runs as follows:

• Start with a safety briefing.
• Get onto flat water and paddle around to get a feel for your boat. Practise paddle strokes and correct body position which your instructor will teach you.
• Play a game of “stingers” with the kayaks! This is a really great way of learning to control your boat whilst having good fun.
• Try out “wet exits” in the river and also if you are brave enough, give the Eskimo-roll a go.
• The importance of using your body and paddle to control the boat is explained and practised in flowing water.
• The principle of “breaking-in” and “breaking-out” of the flow is explained and practised.
• After the basic flat water and fast flowing water principles have been mastered, we move onto the good-stuff: RAPIDS… whitewater…. this is after-all what it‘s all about!

During the session the rapids will be discussed and hazards in the rapid will be pointed out. The features of a river will be shown and explained. The approach to each rapid is based on safety. The following river features will be explained:

• Downstream and upstream V’s.
• Pour-overs.
• Holes and waves.
• Strainers, undercuts and siphons.
• Eddies.
• You need to bring:
• Change of dry clothes
• Towel
• Sunblock
• Costume, shorts, t-shirt or UV top to paddle in
• Shorts
• Drinks for on the river Sense of adventure and loads of humour

This is a self catering weekend, so bring along your favourite camp / braai food. The kayak school runs over the summer season from the end of September through to May. The kayak school accommodates groups of 7 kayakers per course.

Kayaking courses @ www.courses.co.za Email: info@canoekayak.co.za

FET (Further Education and Training) Colleges Accredited By Microsoft

FIFTY colleges of Further Education and Training (FET) will become accredited Microsoft Information Technology (IT) Academies so that students can receive internationally accredited training and certifications in addition to local qualifications.

The agreement to introduce the training in all of SA's FETs was signed last week by Microsoft and the communications department's Meraka e-Skills Institute. The aim is to give students some skills that will increase their immediate chance of employment and to give them a foundation to pursue further studies in the field. The curriculum will be designed to give students the chance to experience real-world challenges in the classroom, with courses due to start next year.

SA's IT and telecoms industries had 37565 vacancies at the end of last year, according to the labour department's National Scarce Skills report.

There was a clear need to improve the employment prospects of citizens and raise the level of information and communication technologies (ICT) skills in SA, said Harold Wesso, acting CEO of the Meraka e-Skills Institute.

"We hope the FET colleges will become a breeding ground for highly skilled ICT professionals, and create a pool of trainers who are capable of training future generations," he said.

Microsoft will supply all the training materials and will ensure that all the trainers are fully certified.

David Ives, head of the developer team at Microsoft SA, said the students would access the latest computer technologies and receive high levels of training, making them more employable.

Relevant Links www.courses.co.za

"We'll also provide courses and certification to the unemployed, people with disabilities and older workers at government- or Microsoft-subsidised rates," he said.

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Pilot Training South Africa

Taking the first steps toward a fun and rewarding aviation experience.

We regularly receive requests for information on the steps that one should take to successfully learn how to fly. This article was written to answer many of the commonly asked questions. Step 1 - Analyze This Investment There are many things that you must invest in when learning how to fly. The most important investment is the time investment. It is suggested that student pilots schedule flight lessons three days a week, for one-hour time slots. Consistently coming to all of your lessons is important. It is also expected that a student take ground school on the side (or spend their own time studying material at home). The second important investment is the money. The cost to attain a Pilot License can vary greatly from person to person. A minimum of 35 hours of flight time is required to receive a license (40 if flying part 61), but some students may need up to 70 hours of flight training. Depending on your location, prices can vary from $75.00/hr for flight time to well over $120.00/hr. The total cost for flight training and equipment will range from $4,000 to over $7,000. Can you afford to go through training now? If not, save your money and start when you can afford to go through the whole training course. Step 2 - Find a Flight School in Your Area Obviously, a crucial step would be finding a flight school in your area. We have therefore developed a search engine to assist in locating a school. Simply key in your state and area code, and our search engine will yield a list of schools. www.studentpilot.com/reference/flight_schools/ Be A Pilot offers coupons for introductory flight lessons through their approved schools for just $35. Go to www.beapilot.com for more information, or call 1-888-BE-A-PILOT to register for your personalized coupon today. Step 3 - Get An Aviation Physical Sadly, many students first realize that they are not physically fit to fly after they have spent several thousand dollars on flight training and invested a lot of their time. We therefore suggest that the get an aviation physical as soon as you commit to flight training! You can conveniently search for a doctor via our new search engine: www.studentpilot.com/reference/doctor_search/ Step 4 - Read, Read, Read The more you know, the safer a pilot you will be. www.StudentPilot.com is jam packed with hundreds of articles relating to all aspects of aviation. Spend some time and read them - you will truly benefit from doing so!

Looking for lessons and classes goto www.courses.co.za

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Information Technology at South Africa

School of Information Technology, South Africa

The School of Information Technology, South Africa, offers courses on disciplines of Information Technology and conducts researches with interdisciplinary, as well as international partners. Its research focus includes web technologies, particular web content and the semantic web.

Courses Offered

The following IT courses are offered at South Africa:

• Bachelor of Commerce in Business Systems
• Bachelor of Computing

For more information about IT courses, please visit our Courses page.
For more information on how to apply to Monash South Africa, please visit the School of Information Technology, South Africa website.

Campus Location & Contact Details

Location:
School of IT
Monash South Africa
144 Peter Road
Ruimsig
Roodepoort
South Africa

Postal address:
Private Bag X60
Roodepoort
1725
South Africa

Phone and Fax:
Ph: +27 11 950-4030
Fax: +27 11 950-4132

For this and other courses goto www.courses.co.za

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MySQL Course

MySQL training course provided by Intoweb in Johannesburg and Pretoria, South Africa

What is MySQL?
MySQL is the world's most popular open-source database. Open source means that the source code, the programming code that makes up MySQL is available to anyone. MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS). It's a program capable of storing an enormous amount and a wide variety of data in a way that meets the needs of both large and small companies.

Pre-Requisites
Basic Computer Literacy

Course Details
Intoweb does not offer amateur lecture notes; rather each course member will be supplied with a quality, comprehensive textbook. Intoweb is ISETT SETA accredited.

3 day Course

Table of Contents

Quickstart to MySQL Understanding MySQL Basics Connecting to the MySQL server Creating and Using Your First Database	Data Types and Table Types Exploring the Various Column types MySQL Options Exploring the Various Table Types	Advanced SQL OperatorsAdvances Joins Adding Records to a Table from other    Tables with INSERT SELECT More About Adding Records More About Removing Records User Variables Running SQL Statements Stored in    Files Transactions and Locking
Indexes and Query Optimisation Understanding Indexes Creating an Index Using an Auto Increment Field Dropping or Changing and Index Understanding Table Types and    Indexes Using Indexes Effectively Analysing How MySQL Uses Indexes    with Explain Optimising Selects Optimising Updates, Deletes, and    Inserts	Programming with MsSQL Using Good Database Programming    Techniques The Stages of Application    Development	Database Design The Database Lifecycle Real-World Example: Creating and    Publishing Tracking System Concurrency Control
Understanding Relational Databases Exploring Early Database Models Understanding the Relational Database    Model	Database Normalization Understanding Normalization Understanding Demoralization	Extending MsSQL User-Defined Functions Troubleshooting
Basic Administration Meeting MySQL as an Administrator Starting and Shutting Down MySQL Configuring MySQL Logging Optimizing, Analysing, Checking and    Repairing Tables	Database Backups Backing Up MyISLAM Tables with    BACKUP Restoring MyISLAM with Tables with    RESTORE Backing Up MyISLAM Tables Backing Up with mysqldump Backing Up wihth SELECT INTO Using mysqlhotcopy to Back Up Using the Binary Update Log to Restore    a Database to the most Recent    Position Replication as a Means of Backup	Database Replication Understanding Replication Setting up Replication Replicating One Database Replicating with and Active Binary Log    on the Master Removing Old Binary Logs from the Master and Then Starting Avoiding Too Many Updates Avoiding Key Errors
Configuring and Optimizing MySQL Optimizing the mysqld Variables Changing Variable Values with the    Server Running Imporving Hardware to Speed Up Server Using Benchmarks Running MySQL in ANSI Mode Using Different Languages in MySQL	Database Security Security When Connecting Managing Users and Connnections SSL Connections Application Security System Security Security Issues with LOAD DATA              LOCAL	Installing MySQL Deciding Whether to Install a Source or Binary Distribution Installing MySQL on Windows Installin MySQL on Unix Installing Multiple MySQL Servers on    the Same Machine Avoiding Common Installation Problems Upgrading from MySQL3x to MySQL 4
Multiple Driver Understanding RAID Using Symbolic Links

For Similar courses go to www.courses.co.za

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Tennis Lessons

ITF/OS Regional Tutor’s Course South Africa The South African Tennis Association hosted an ITF/OS Regional tutor´s course at the ITF High Performance Centre in Pretoria, South Africa on September 23rd. In attendance were 26 tutors from 8 different countries from the Southern African region.

The course was conducted by Miguel Crespo, ITF Development Research Officer, and Karl Davies, ITF Development Officer for the Southern African region. This course is designed to assist tutors improve the quality of coaches education programmes in their countries. Among other things, the course outlined the main goals and characteristics of the ITF courses including syllabi, contents, schedules, assessment criteria, presentation methods, available resources, e-learning procedures, web based training and education, and new teaching methodologies related to competency based training applied to tennis coaches education.

The course was a great success and participants commented that they believe the course will really help tutors improve the quality of their courses in order to make the countries self-sufficient in coaches education. Karl Davies, who has a great amount of experience in this area, said: “The main focus for the moment is to educate already influential coaches in the region, so that they are able to conduct national coaches education courses in their respective countries, because at this point in time we feel the best way to increase the number of qualified coaches is through tutor training and development”.

Sports courses and tennis lessons in South Africa

Are You a Fan of Abseiling or do you prefer Rock Climbing?

Learn how to climb, go to www.courses.co.za

Are you a fan of abseiling or do you prefer rock climbing? Are you going on holiday any time soon? Fed up with climbing with the masses? Planning a climbing trip in the southern hemisphere perhaps?

You can’t really do an article on just abseiling because nine times out of ten there is good rock climbing in the same region (stands to reason doesn’t it), so here goes for a few interesting places in the southern hemisphere to do both…

South Africa

You are spoilt for choice in South Africa. There are a huge amount of majestic mountain regions ideal for climbing adventures. How do they grade the climbs in South Africa? They use a simple numerical system:

* 7-12: Beginners climbs that anybody in decent shape shold be able to get up. Expect easy-angled rock with big, friendly handholds.
* 12 - 16: Smaller handholds and/or steeper rock, but still suitable for beginner to intermediate climbers.
* 16 - 18: Intermediate routes requiring more fitness and experience.
* 18 upwards: Intermediate to advanced. Strong arms and good technique a must…

The best climbing areas in South Africa are Rocklands for bouldering; Oudtshoorn, Montagu and Milner for sport routes and Table Mountain and Cederberg for trad routes. Of course there are loads of others and I have covered just a handful here…

The Restaurant (at the End of the Universe) can be found in the Waterval Boven cliffs in the Mpumalanga Highlands Drakensberg Mountain region - about 3 hours from Johannesburg and Pretoria. This region is one of the top rock climbing destination in South Africa and is rated highly by many of the best climbers in the world. Most of the good climbing can be done around the difficulty rating of 17-27, with options to climb up to grade 33! Some pretty serious climbing then…

A climber exposed against the backdrop of the Elands River in the valley below - photo courtesy of Roc & Rope

Photo: Roc ‘n Rope Adventures)

The Oribi Gorge in KwaZulu Natal was created over millions of years as the Umzimkulwana river carved its way over flat rock, finding faults in the stone and eroding enormously deep and narrow gorges. At the base of the cliffs there are rocks that are 1000 million years old while the cliffs themselves are formed from sandstone deposited about 365 million years ago. Here you can abseil down a 110m mountain or climb one of the many challenging routes on offer. Another interesting abseil is alongside the Howick Falls also in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

View from near Baboon's Castle, Oribi gorge

view from near Baboon’s Castle

Blouberg Massif is a stone’s throw from both Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is a 1,200ft quartzite mesa which sits in the sun for most of the day and is considered South Africa’s most difficult Big Wall. There are 11 classic routes here, starting at a grade of 19. And there are some terrific names too. A few examples are: Wall of White Light (a big scary wall), Psycho Reptile, White Light, Future Shock, Crack of Adventure, Road to Nowhere, Hey Jude, Bushpig, Tequila Sunrise, Moonshadow, Teddy Bear’s Picnic and Wow Fuck to name but a few…

Milner Amphitheatre in the Western Cape is a double tiered orange rock face in the Hex River Mountains. It sits beside beside a 2,000ft waterfall. This is an area with excellent multi-pitch sport and pitch climbing which makes it some of the best climbing in South Africa. There is sensitive access to this area so it is best to get in touch with a local club of the MCSA to check out the rules and regs.

Karen Varga, Milner Amphitheatre

And of course there is Table Mountain. How can you talk about climbing in South Africa without bringing the famous and iconic Table Mountain into the discussion. Rock climbing on Table Mountain is a very popular pastime. There are well-documented climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty up the many faces of the mountain. As the mountain is part of the Cape Floral Region which is a World Heritage Site, no bolting can be done here and only traditional climbing is allowed. Commercial groups also offer abseiling from the upper cable station. The cable car also offers a quick descent!

The Giant’s Castle Massif in the Natal Drakensberg offers some pretty technical ice climbing as a variation to rock climbing. These are southern Africa’s highest and most spectacular mountain range. It also holds the regions only consistently forming ice and snow routes. Most documented routes are either pure water-ice or pure névé snow, but there are a few routes which require mixed climbing. Giant’s Castle itself is located on the south side of the massif. Ice forms from late May right through to late August. The best time is usually mid to late July. Several major climbs have been done on this peak and numerous others still await first ascents. Most of the unclimbed falls are steep, multi-pitch routes that will require serious skill and determination to conquer.

And before we leave South Africa I just had to include this scary photograph that I have just come across - it gives a good idea of some of the challenging climbs the region has to offer!

www.courses.co.za

Kitesurfing Courses

THE LURE
The white sandy beaches and constant cross-shore wind in January make this arguably the absolute best spot in South Africa to kite. January is the 'wild wind month' averaging 25 – 30 knots on most days, so unless you're an accomplished rider time your visit either side of that month or get up early in the morning!

A feature in Issue #25 included Langebaan. It is available free online, just click here.


THE SET UP:
Exit Cape Town International airport, shed a few layers of clothing, find a car, point it north up the coast and drive 130 kilometres in a dead straight line along a tarred road with not a single road coming off it until you get to the small town of Langebaan.

Langebaan lagoon is a two kilometre wide, shallow freestyle heaven. The turquoise blue water of the 20 x 1.5 kilometre lagoon is suitable for anyone from beginners upwards, but the choice of terrain to ride is actually high in Langebaan outside of the lagoon areas, and of course if you fancy some hardcore wave action then Cape Town is back down the road.

WIND & WEATHER:
Cross-onshore to cross-offshore from the left. From September to the end of March the wind stats sit at 80% of days above 15 knots.

WATER:
The water temperature averages 16 – 22°C year round.

OFF THE WATER:
There are lots of nice little restaurants and bars just off the beach. There is one nightclub in town (which is a five minute drive from the lagoon) and a bar with live music on certain days of the week. There are plenty of other activities in the area, such as windurfing, kayaking, pilates and yoga lessons, and within a reasonable distance, a Gary Player signature golf course, horse riding, fishing, sight seeing in the wine-lands and Cape Town and the surrounding area.

CENTRES AND ACCOMODATION:
WindChasers offers the ultimate package of upmarket beach styled accommodation designed to suit the windsports enthusiasts together with a top class IKO centre offering boat assisted kitesurfing lessons. Windchasers are located on the shores of the Langebaan lagoon just 1 hour out of Cape Town with warm, flat waters and close to perfect wind conditions ideal for teaching and perfecting this extreme adrenalin filled sport. WindChasers offers everything from outside hot and cold showers, equipment stores, wireless internet, laundry facilities to a very sociable and welcoming atmosphere. The accommodation is unique and ranges from more private self catering rooms to the KiteHouse which is communal accommodation for those on a bit more of a budget and looking for a more social and interactive experience. First-time novice or skilled expert, you'll love kiteboarding in Langebaan. Email: info@windchaserssa.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel: +27 22 77 21 904
Website: www.windchaserssa.com

AIRPORTS:
Cape Town international airport (CPT) – Two hour drive to Langebaan.

Riders who have included Langebaan as one of their Top Places to Ride are: Jo Wilson, Nick Jacobsen, Sjoukje Bredenkamp















Other Courses @ www.courses.co.za

Welding school for university of Pretoria

A centre of excellence for welding is being planned for the University of Pretoria by the newly appointed Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering head Professor Madeleine du Toit.

She says that this initiative, which is planned to take place in 2010, is part of an overall drive to improve the department's outputs.

"The University of Pretoria Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering is the only integrated, standalone metallurgical department in the country, and it conducts among the best training and research in South Africa. I want to help raise the bar by creating this welding centre of excellence, and other centres of excellence within the department by attracting funding from industry," says Du Toit.

She adds that the department has never favoured fundamental research, which cannot easily be applied in real situations.

"The department is practical in this regard and its research is almost always designed around real and current issues facing industry. The proposals usually come from industry and by choosing the topics carefully the department is able to ensure that, while practical in nature, it is still good, solid academic research," explains Du Toit.

This practical approach is the underlying philosophy with respect to the development of the welding centre of excellence. Du Toit says that part of the welding initiative will be to grow the research component where the department has been relatively strong for the past 15 years. However, she says, the main focus will probably be on training welding engineers.

The intention of the department is to become a Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) approved training body, enabling it to offer the International Institute of Welding courses to train international welding engineers according to the highest international standards.

"Once the department has all this in place it will market aggressively. It is common knowledge that South Africa does not produce nearly enough welding engineers and the department hopes to play a significant role in reversing this situation," says Du Toit.

SAIW executive director Jim Guild says that he is pleased with Du Toit's plans. He says he hopes he proposal is successful, and any initiative that helps to produce welding engineers is more than welcome.

Du Toit says it is important to understand that the welding initiative is part of an overall initiative to make the department a centre of excellence in the widest sense.

"Welding is, of course, an important part of the University of Pretoria's physical metallurgy programme, but the department also has its extractive metallurgy and pyrometallurgy programmes, which offer many opportunities for industry," adds Du Toit.

The department offers an Engineering Council of South Africa-accredited, internationally recognised, fully integrated, undergraduate degree. Its postgraduate programme is an extremely popular one and it has almost as many postgraduate students as undergraduate students. The postgraduate programme focuses on course work, where, for example, Bachelor of Engineering Honours and Bachelor of Science Honours students can specialise in a range of varying elements offered by the courses. These courses are also offered in the form of refresher programmes for industry.

"We are in a unique position in South Africa as far as metallurgical sciences are concerned. The country's extensive mining industry, and the fact that South Africa is experiencing significant growth in the steel construction industry are two important factors that can ensure the relevance of the department in terms of the practical training and knowledge that it can offer. I hope to take full advantage of the situation," concludes Du Toit.

Looking for a change in career or just want to learn something new www.courses.co.za

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Is training a dirty word?

The Skills Development Amendment Bill has been approved by parliament’s National Assembly is well on the way to becoming law. Substantive changes to the law include the establishment of the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations and clearer guidelines on apprenticeships.

A smaller change is the replacement of the phrase ‘training provider’ with ‘skills development provider’.

The terminology of training and skills development was discussed by MPs and civil servants at the public hearings for the Bill. Concerns were raised by MPs that the term training had negative connotations; that it related to training animals, or sports training.

Labour Department DDG Sam Morotoba said that the term skills development was used as it was more in line with global trends.

Private provider representatives said that trainers should be supported and training should be something that people were proud to take up. The confusion from the range of terms available, included Trainer, OD-ETDP practitioner, facilitator and others was also highlighted.

Do you support the move from the term training provider to skills development provider? Is there a significant difference between the two or is it just a question of semantics? What do you think trainers should be called? OD-ETDP practitioners, facilitators, skills development professionals, or simply trainers?

Go to the Courses website for a comprehensive listing of courses

seta's

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Free Online Boat Safety course.

Its summer have fun but do so safely. Consider taking a free online boating safety course. You can find information at the BoatUS Foundation.

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PADI advanced course

Marsa Alam, situated on the south of Egypt’s east coast offering the perfect destination for divers to complete their PADI advanced course. The dive sites are located close by for all levels of divers, from beginner’s right up to the deepest technical diver. The sites are uncrowded in comparison to other dive areas such the Great Barrier reef. Equally all of the sites offer great snorkelling possibilities too for those whom are too young to dive or would rather stay close to the surface. Perhaps one of the most magnetic possibilities for scuba diving in Marsa Alam is the possibility of getting up close to one of the most magnificent creatures in the ocean, The Whale Shark.
Found regularly in the red sea and off the coast of South Africa those travelling to complete their PADI advanced course will be most likely to come into contact with one of these amazing creatures. The whale sharks are gentle and often stay around divers for an extended period, showing more interest then fear by our presence.
The "Small Bay of the Market" (Marsa Shouni Soraya) has a distinctive shape offering a variety of dive sites ideal for new and experienced divers alike. There is also a sheltered lagoon where baby eagle rays have been regularly spotted. The signature table corals harbour a massive array of life and its reefs are teeming with shrimps, scorpion fishes and barracuda. The bay has a resident hawksbill turtle and dolphins are regular visitors, Whale sharks are sometimes spotted just outside the bay also.
The PADI advanced course will teach you to navigate during the night and whilst deep diving, you will also have the opportunity to choose from a boat dive, drift dive, dry suit dive, multilevel dive, search and recover dive, underwater naturalist dive, underwater photography dive, wreck diving or an altitude dive as part of your elective training dives.
The PADI advanced course in Marsa Alam is an experience that every diver should go through, the conditions are perfect throughout the year. Sometime around April to May the visibility is greatly reduced due to Plankton Bloom, but if you want to encounter whale sharks you must visit Marsa Alam by the beginning of summer and end of spring. Renowned for its diverse marine life and incredible coral reefs, Marsa Alam is a ruby by the Red Sea. I recently travelled to Marsa as a last minute deal with http://.www.activediving.co.uk I was torn as to whether to visit Dahab or Marsa Alam, for my wanting to see Whale Sharks, Marsa was highly recommended and they didn’t disappoint.
One of the best dives I did in Marsa Alam just after I had completed my PADI advanced course was when four massive whale sharks chased a huge bait ball that stretched from 5 metres depth down to 22 metres. Young fish, when threatened, can sometimes be corralled by predators into a tight swirling ball that is forced to the surface in order to permit easy pickings - Large bait balls can turn the sea black. There are many who will swear that the 30th July 2008 saw the best days diving that they have ever experienced. Whale sharks can grow up to 12 metres in length, these were between 5 and 8 metres.
It is assumed that this years exceptionally prolific plankton bloom in the northern Red Sea has brought whale sharks to the area in much larger numbers than in living memory. On the same day whale sharks were also seen just off the beach in Taba - at the northern extremity of the Red Sea. There have also been many more sightings of plankton-eating manta rays than in previous years. These sightings have mainly been on the local sites rather than those further away in Tiran or Ras Mohammed.
Natalie from Red Sea Diving College said "it was an amazing underwater event, with tuna darting into the bait ball... the whale sharks were all around us and at one point I was in the vortex of the bait ball with millions of fish around me - it was as if the heavens had darkened."
Throughout the year the average temperature remains in its thirties and forties. While the hottest month is August, the coolest month is January with temperature dipping during the night. Generally windy, Marsa Alam witnesses a rough sea during November and the waves at times might be large. Featuring prominently in the tourist map of the world, Marsa Alam is fast becoming a hot spot for all tourists and divers alike looking to complete their PADI advanced course or begin diving altogether.
There are plenty of excellent diving sites and some thrilling drop offs once you have completed your PADI advanced course. Some of the most popular dive sites from Marsa Alam include:
- Samadai: This is a crescent shaped offshore reef that is also known as the Dolphin House because you can find plenty of dolphins in the sheltered waters of the lagoon. Seeing the feats of the spinner dolphins can be quite exciting!
- Abu Dabab: If Samadai is the place to see dolphins, then Abu Dabab is famous for the dugongs. It's really a pleasure to watch these dugongs playing around.
- Elphinstone Reef: This site may be a bit dangerous for the inexperienced swimmers. The currents are strong enough and for those who are seeking for some real adventure this would be the - red sea dream dive!
To find out more about completing your PADI advanced course in Dahab, Lanzarote or South Africa visit http://www.activediving.co.uk and quote: ART

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Research Shows Immigration Boosting South Africa Economy

As South Africa battles negative perceptions of immigration in the country, it seems that nevertheless many people are still heading to a start new life in South Africa and with them are bringing a wealth of economic benefits.

According to researchers, rising numbers of migrants are descending upon South Africa's popular Nelson Mandela Bay and even more positively these new arrivals have been proved to be boosting the areas economy.

The Nelson Mandela Bay is estimated to be housing around 23,000 immigrants whom have all chosen to migrate to live and work in South Africa. This figure is meaning that a large number of skilled professionals are also heading to the area, subsequently aiding South Africa's failing skills sector of labour.

It is important for South Africa maintains such movement to the country and although the number of migrants in the bay is considerably lower than that in main cities, such as Johannesburg, the area and country is still feeling the rippling economic effects from the movement.

Already the Bay is ranking as having the third-largest immigrant population. Plus, the number of immigrants in from the rest of the world has already doubled since the previous census in 2001 and now stands at around 8,000.

Economically a large majority of people, particularly those skilled, academics from the rest of the world are taking up highly skilled jobs in areas which South Africa is crying out for. These positions include doctors, nurses and teachers.

Another positive growth benefitting the Bay's economy and standing is the emergence and soar in numbers of foreign students, whom are opting to study in South Africa at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). According to statistics this bustling university hub has encouraged around 1,700 foreign students to enrol recently.

South African officials acknowledge the benefit of such students and the knowledge and skills which they can bring when they come to South Africa to study. Many such students are ultimately choosing to remain in South Africa following their educational courses being completed, with some even applying for citizenship visas.

The research which showed the booming effects of immigration in the bay area was conducted by the Port Elizabeth Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They further found that over 65% of the immigrants within the area were younger than 30 years of age. This is another positive find as younger persons are generally viewed as more economically beneficial and important to a skills short country.

Researchers concluded that the city was part of a global village with tremendous opportunities for immigrants. They said that "As a city and a country we export skilled people to other countries, so immigrants add value by bringing critical skills to our economy. There is a serious shortage of skills in certain areas of our economy, so to drive growth we should embrace those who fill that gap."

Info from http://www.globalvisas.com

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South Africa: COPA’s Advanced Conflict Transformation Course

6-31 October 2008

The Advanced Conflict Transformation (ACT) is a four week course that is organized by COPA. This course offers diverse aspects of conflict transformation and peace building. It is aimed at participants working in related fields on the African continent. Although reference is made to the impact of international political and economic events & trends on the continent, emphasis is placed on culturally sensitive and sustainable responses to regional and community conflicts in Africa.

http://www.copafrica.org/training.html

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