Access to tertiary education has been enabled for young people living within the John Taolo Gaetsewe municipal area, owing to the launch of Kathu Solar Park’s Bursary Programme earlier this year. It is hoped that due to the holistic nature of the programme, coupled with the advantage of only being available to young people from these communities, it will enable the youth to meaningfully participate in the local economy in the future.
Kathu Solar Park’s Socio-Economic Development strategy has a key focus on education and skills development. As a result, this Bursary Programme, which is not restrictive in terms of fields of study or institutions, is one of the Company’s flagship community programmes.
The programme provides talented young people from Kathu Solar Park’s host communities with access to higher education, therefore empowering these individuals with the tools and skills to reach their full potential. Student support is a key component of the bursary programme. The support offers students access to study coaches and a number of tools to develop their soft-skills, which will further assist them once they enter into the world of work.
The 2022 intake has provided seven local students with full-bursary support including tuition fees, accommodation, books, and travelling. Each student has also been equipped with data and a laptop to make it easier to complete assignments and online assessments. Students also receive a monthly allowance, ongoing student mentoring and the opportunity to participate in a holistic psycho-social support programme.
The psycho-social support programme engages the individual as part of an existing eco-system and develops their skillset to maximize opportunities to optimize their soft skills, enhance their tertiary experience and consequently builds their resilience to thrive academically. This facilitates an easier transition from school to university, and the transitions through the preceding academic years. The programme’s mentors regularly engage the students to ensure that they are making optimal progress.
Kathu Solar Park, through its leading Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology, commenced operations on 30 January 2019, to deliver renewable energy to South Africa’s national grid.
Located in the Northern Cape Province, it is one of a few projects of its type in the country, and forms part of the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) Programme, delivering jobs, socio-economic benefits and clean power.
The shareholders consist of Engie; the Government Employees Pension Fund (PIC); SIOC Community Development Trust; Investec Bank Limited; Lereko Metier; and the Kathu LCT (RF) Pty Ltd.
