Siphelele Nonhlanhla Phoseka is calling on all youth not in employment, education or training (NEETs) to consider TVET Colleges. She says the number of South African youth that are socially excluded is a major concern and it keeps getting worse every year.
Having obtained a Public Management Diploma from uMfolozi TVET College, Bambanani Campus, Siphelele wants to inspire young people, especially those from her hometown of Ingwavuma, to enrol at uMfolozi College or any of the nine TVET Colleges in KwaZulu Natal. “Do your own research on TVET Colleges, don’t rely on hearsay. Not everybody can get into a university and in any case I believe TVET College graduates have an advantage over University graduates because they get their diploma along with 18 months’ work experience whereas University graduates, on the other hand, still need to gain work experience before entering the job market,” she explains.
Siphelele serves as Bambanani Campus’ Asset and Fleet Clerk, she joined the College in 2018 as a Public Management student and completed her studies in 2019. In 2020 she was employed as a Covid Screener at Bambanani Campus. In her spare time, she would volunteer in other departments. Later that year a position for Asset and Fleet Clerk became available and she seized the opportunity. By March 2022, she was thrilled to learn that her application had been successful.
Siphelele says the best part of her job is the asset verification process, she enjoys it when everything balances out meaning that all her paperwork is corresponding. Her duties include barcoding assets, updating the inventory list, handling vehicle bookings and ensuring timely vehicle servicing. Regarding her future plans, she says, “I don’t see myself leaving the TVET sector. Being exposed to higher education has ignited my passion for teaching. I want to further my studies in teaching and hopefully make a difference in the lives of the youth in my community.”
