In keeping with our commitment to building an Opportunity City, the City of Cape Town has funded 163 external bursaries; 1838 internal bursaries; 31 graduate internships and 365 co-operative training opportunities this academic year.
For the current financial year (2012/13) the City has budgeted R 3,5 million for external bursaries, which represents an increase of R500 000 from the last financial year. The majority of these learning opportunities have been given in the key areas of Engineering, the Built Environment and Finance, where there are currently critical skills shortages.
“This administration recognises the significant role the City plays in expanding job opportunities. By investing in skills development for our staff, we ensure the continuity and improvement of the City’s operations and administration. On a broader level, by providing funding to those that might not otherwise have been able to study further, we are opening up further opportunities especially for the youth of this City” says Alderman Demetri Qually, Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services.
While many of the recipients have done exceptionally well, special mention must be made of the following:
- Namamso Mbana (National Diploma: Marketing from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) who was awarded a study tour relevant to her field of study in recognition of her achievements.
- Gabrielle Martin (National Diploma, BTech: Architecture from CPUT) who received the Dean Merit Award for Top 10 students four times!
- Charne Claasen and Lanchon Goliath (National Diploma: Chemical Engineering from CPUT) who were amongst the Top 10 students in their class.
- Lee Brooks (BBUSsC: ITS from UCT) who was amongst the Top 10 students in his year.
It is gratifying to note that the study opportunities for many of our previous external bursars have led to permanent employment by the City, including senior positions such as at director level.
As part of our ongoing commitment to ensure the successful completion of the students’ studies, the City’s Personnel Services Department tracks academic progress, visits campuses where specific problems are identified, and deals with any other issues directly with the bursars and, where needed, with the student advisors and counsellors.
When choosing potential recipients, criteria such as financial need, previous academic record, overall knowledge and interest in the chosen field of study, as well as the staffing strategies of the respective line departments are assessed.
We wish our current crop of students well and encourage potential applicants to contact Janine Carelse on 021 400 3619.
