An award-winning government tourism programme is helping young people from the Wild Coast find employment or start their own business in the tourism industry. Tourism Green Coast (TGC) is a comprehensive training programme, with accredited and non-accredited courses.
The Green Coast Stewards attended contact sessions and applied new knowledge and skills through workplace assignments and practical activities, such as Green Coast monitoring, coastal clean-ups and environmental education targeting communities and local schools.
Tourism Green Coast (TGC) is part of the Department of Tourism’s Expanded Public Works Programme and is being implemented by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA).
During the month of July, 119 youth from the Eastern Cape received their National Certificate in Tourism Guiding as a result of the two-year programme, which helped them to develop skills and gain work experience at various tourism establishments along the Wild Coast.
“We were inspired by the number of participants who have or are attempting to start their own business. It is our hope that as tourism resumes, these budding entrepreneurs are supported sufficiently to make a success of their enterprises. We also hope more jobs will become available and that our graduates will gain full-time employment,” said Kerry Mclean, WESSA Project Manager Mclean.
Thirty-two of the youth have found permanent employment and seven have registered their own businesses, while the rest want to start their own business or further their studies in 2021.
One of the graduates, Sanelise Dasoyi from Coffee Bay said the TGC programme helped her on many levels. “I was able to pay my UNISA fees for nature conservation studies and secured permanent employment as a project manager at the Sustainable Coffee Bay non-profit organisation,” said Dasoyi, who plans to start a small business offering unique tourism experiences for visitors to Coffee Bay.
