What a joy it was to be amongst 'greatness' with the Southern Region interns in a very welcoming morning of 8 August 2019. The Southern Region consists of the Harry Gwala, uMgungundlovu as well as Ugu Districts. The region has created a second home for many young people across KwaZulu-Natal. It was a privilege to be in the presence of such positive young people, who have a promising future. The Department of Public Works, including Southern Region, has taken a mandatory stance to alleviate poverty by addressing issues of unemployment through the provisioning of experiential learning for youth. The Southern Region has placed 21 students on the ‘Internship and In-Service Training Programme’, who have assumed work between the months of April to July 2019. Many of the students are working for the first time in their lives and would wish to find a permanent home with the department.
A jubilant group of students from the Southern Region
When questioned about what they loved most about their working environment, they shared extraordinary opinions. Some felt that it took them out of their “comfort zone” while others felt that the environment “exposes them to different parts” of their specific expertise. Overall, they enjoy working in a diverse work setting and feel the immense challenges in the working space but are hopeful of a bright future. The students are placed on rotation basis within sections across the regional office, which may include Supply Chain Management, Human Resources Management, Finance, Professional Services and EPWP, to name but a few. The Department of Public Works warmly welcomes all our students. We trust that their stay with us will continue to be fruitful and wish them all the best in their learning experience. We hope that they will continue to flourish to the best of their abilities during the season they share with us.