YES YOU CAN still achieve your dreams of earning a dignified living and becoming financially independent!
Last week, the Department of Education released the national matric results for the class of 2018. IkamvaYouth announced a provisional matric pass rate of 81% and celebrations have been taking place at branches across the country. Chances are, you may be pleased with your results, and may even have received your final confirmation of acceptance at your chosen tertiary institution. If this is you, CONGRATS!
If you haven’t done as well as you’d hoped though, don’t worry- It’s not the end of the world. Failing matric or not getting accepted at university doesn’t mean the end of your journey towards earning a dignified living and becoming financially independent. You have a number of options available to you:
- Re-marking/re-checking your exam scripts
- June NSC exam (previously supplementary exams)
- Re-doing your matric
- Vocational training options/ learnerships
Re-marking/re-checking
Firstly, perhaps you were quite surprised by the results you received, and feel the results are not a true reflection of your performance, it might be worth getting your paper/s re-checked or re-marked. You can request to have your scripts re-checked or re-marked at your school (see detailed instructions on the reverse side of your Statement of Results) or on the eGov portal, at www.eservices.gov.za. The deadline for manual requests for a re-check/re-mark is 18 January 2019, AND 20 January 2019 for online applications. Please be advised that the cost per subject, of a re-mark is R105.00 and R25.00 for a re-check.
June NSC exam (previously supplementary exams)
Another option available to you is to register to write the May/June NSC exams. These exams have replaced what was previously known as Supplementary Exams, which were written in February/March. This means that you have more time to prepare for the exams, so be sure to make use of this time! The June NSC exams allows candidates to re-write as many subjects as they need, including failed subjects or subjects they just wish to improve. The deadline for registration for the NSC June exams is 31 January 2019. Please CLICK HERE to access the Department of Education website for further details about the June NSC exams.
Re-doing your matric
If you feel you may not be prepared to write the June NSC exams, but are still determined to complete your matric, you can opt to re-enroll for the NSC as a full time candidate. Rather than simply registering with the Department and aiming to study for the end of year exams on your own, It’s really important that you find a school or institution where you can attend classes and receive support during the year. There are a number of institutions you can go to that offer support with re-doing matric, the following are just a few to get you started on your search (Check out THIS article for more!):
| Institution |
Location |
Contact |
| St Francis Adult Education Centre |
Cape Town |
CLICK HERE for the website |
| Gadra Education |
Grahamstown |
CLICK HERE for the website |
| KZN Matric Excellence |
Durban |
031 373 6391 |
| Damelin Correspondence |
Multiple locations |
CLICK HERE for the website |
| Second Chance Matric Programme |
National |
CLICK HERE for the website |
Vocational options/ Learnerships
Pursuing studies at a TVET college is a great option for students interested in vocational qualifications. Some TVET colleges don’t require a matric! For a list of all the Public TVET colleges in South Africa, CLICK HERE.
Learnerships are a great way to gain a post-matric qualification, while gaining valuable on-the-job training. Requirements for learnerships vary, so it’s important to check if you qualify before applying. CLICK HERE for more information about learnerships, and browse available learnerships HERE.
Central Applications Clearing House
The task of searching for alternative opportunities in January can be quite daunting. Especially after not managing to get accepted at the institutions you may have applied to last year! Thankfully, the Department of Higher Education and Training has established a Central Application Service, which is aimed at making this process simpler. The service “aims to match applicants’ exam results and study preferences with places that need to be filled” at various institutions. To sign up for this service, CLICK HERE.
Even if your matric results weren’t as great as you’d hoped, there are many alternative routes to achieving your dreams. And remember, IkamvaYouth is here to help you every step of the way!
At the GirlEng #AskAnEngineer workshop on 20 May, 23 of our Grade 9, 10 and 11s:
- Heard first-hand stories from engineering students and engineers about their various fields of engineering and how they decided to choose engineering as a career e.g. electrical, civil, chemical and mechanical engineering.
- Found out more about the various options available and what is needed to study engineering.
- Met with mentors and sponsors that could assist them in furthering a career in engineering
IkamvaYouth particularly thank Danielle Hendricks and Mvumekazi Socwayi for accompanying the learners.
Choosing a career and the studies to reach a professional goal is not an easy one for High School learners.
Therefore, Matric learners had the opportunity to attend the UCT, UWC and CPUT Open days.
The learners were excited and energetic to be on Campus accompanied by their mentors and tutors. They got a chance talk to University students, professionals and lecturers about careers and courses offered in all three institutions.
We address a special thank you to the following tutors and mentors for having availed their time and passion on these days: Mvumekazi Sogcwayi,Okuhle Beyaphi, Phumza Kibi,Avile Mabhengu,Thulisa Mayekiso, Sivuyisiwe Mbede, Alison Walker, Lucia Toich, Siyolisi Bani, Yolanda Sigodi, Sinenjongo Ngxameleni, Thabiso Sekwati Ngapo, Mapule Puleng, Thobela Bixa and Khululwa Nkatshu.
Since 2003, IkamvaYouth has over 1000 learners complete their matric. Our alumni are encouraged to continue to be involved in the organisation as tutors and mentors, and can even see themselves working for the organisation as interns/full time staff members, or even serving on the board!
Zukile Keswa (Zuks), joined the organisation as a grade 11 learner in 2004. During his tertiary studies, he came back to IkamvaYouth to serve as a volunteer tutor. Zuks was the first alumn to become an IkamvaYouth staff member in 2011, starting as the Makhaza Branch Assistant. Since then, he’s held a number of roles in the organisation, and is now the Gugs Comp Branch Coordinator.
This year, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming quite a few of our alumni back to IkamvaYouth as staff members. One such alumn, is Phelela Mokwana, who matriculated in 2008. Here’s what she had to say about her new role in the organisation:
“I was once a learner at Ikamva during my high school days from 2006-2008. I’m now working as a B.A for Makhaza branch. My experience working at Ikamva is amazing. I’ve started working during winter school 2016, It just reminded me of the days when I was a student, seeing learners engaging themselves in the the tutoring space and the commitment of tutors has just reminded me of why I came back to work for Ikamva.
Through the journey of being in and out of companies has just made me discover my potential which is
working in empowering young minds, helping them to achieve good results, helping them to become positive role model in their communities and have a dignified living.“
Phillip Mcelu, who matriculated back in 2006, just joined the team this month. This is what he had to say about coming back to IkamvaYouth:
“I am happy to have found my way back to the IY family, as I am an alumnus from the Makhaza class of 2006! I’ve been working in the ICT industry for the last 5 years and am excited to be starting as the Tech Coordinator for IY. I’m looking forward to building a national network and sharing my ICT knowledge with my IY family.”
Below are the alumni that joined the IkamvaYouth body of staff this year:
And now… IkamvaYouth is seeking an alum to be a board member of the organisation. The successful alumni will learn a great deal about what it takes to run an organisation.
Level of Commitment required:
- The Board requires a commitment of four board meetings a year (lasting approximately 2 hours) as well as prepare for the board meetings which will take approximately 2-3 hours.
- There may be other ad hoc events that the board member will be required to attend.
- The successful alum will not get paid for his or her time but will be making a meaningful contribution to the running of IkamvaYouth.
Areas of expertise sought (any of the following):
- HR
- Sustainability
- Leadership
- Fundraising
- Finance
- Passion or interest in the education of disadvantaged youth
Serving on the board of IkamvaYouth is a wonderful, enriching experience, especially for someone early in their career. Aside from the joy of working for a public good, it can broaden your experience and skills, which might help you find your next job. For more details of what being a board member entails, please click HERE, where you’ll find our constitution.
If you would like to nominate any alumn for this position, please click HERE.
The University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, through two of its specialised units, continues to invest in Africa’s future leaders, and is calling for scholarship applications from across the continent for its 2017 academic year..
The UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB) is inviting motivated leaders from across Africa, with a track record of action who would like an injection of skills to help them go further to apply for one of several scholarships available at the school in 2017. In recent years the GSB, through the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the MTN Solution Space, has made significant investments in the development of Africa’s future leaders through access to scholarships.
To date over R6 million has been committed in scholarship funding for GSB Masters and PhD programmes. This has been made possible through the generous support of funders, including GSB Alumni, the Bertha Foundation, the Canon Collins Trust and the MTN Group. “We’re delighted to be able to continue this funding into 2017 and are inviting prospective African students who would like to study either towards their MBA or Master of Philosophy in Inclusive Innovation at the UCT GSB to apply for a scholarship,” says Dr Francois Bonnici, Director of theBertha Centre.“Through the scholarships the Bertha Centre hopes to support those who want to address our continent’s greatest challenges. We want to encourage especially those seeking social change to apply and those interested in understanding and/or challenging the current ideas of business and what it does and is used for,” says Bonnici.
The Bertha Centre, a specialised unit at the GSB established in 2011 in partnership with the Bertha Foundation, seeks to support: changemakers; social activists, entrepreneurs and innovators and out-of-the-box thinkers. Previous Bertha Centre Scholars include co-founder of Lumanki, Francois Petousis; Pimp-my-Book founder Mpodumo Doubada as well as Business Day columnist, and Livity Africa Deputy Managing Director Zamandlovu Ndlovu. “Through the generous support of our donors and sponsors we are able to cover tuition fees for our Masters programmes and provide additional financial support for living and travel costs where needed,” says Sarah-Anne Arnold, Manager of the MTN Solution Space.The MTN Solution Space, established at the GSB in 2014 in partnership with the MTN Group, seeks to support problem solvers – doers, makers, thinkers and creators – who continually seek to advance and leverage technologies for the well-being of Africans. Previous MTN Scholars include Rudzani Mulaudzi co-founder of Gradesmatch and Lianne du Toit Vice Chairperson of Silicon Cape and founder of GovHackSA. “While scholars are distinct in their professional goals and ambitions and hail from all over Africa, they are united in their common goal: to have a significant impact in the world,” says Arnold.
Geoff Bick, Acting Director of the GSB, says that the school continues to enjoy an outstanding reputation both in Africa and more broadly and is well placed to further the careers and increase the impact of committed change makers.“The UCT GSB full-time MBA is still the only MBA in Africa to be ranked in the Financial Times ranking of the top 100 MBAs in the world and it offers one of the best business educations on the continent. The GSB MBA curriculum is also the first in Africa to incorporate social innovation as a core subject. Equally groundbreaking is the MPhil in Inclusive Innovation – an interdisciplinary research-based degree that leads to the practical prototyping of new business models aligned to African markets – a first of it’s kind on the continent,” he says..
To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must be a citizen of an African country, and must first be accepted onto the programme of their choice.
Anyone interested in applying for a Bertha Centre or MTN Solution Space scholarship should visit the GSB Scholarships information web page here. The deadline for applications is 31 October 2016.
Watch the MBA and MPhil videos on YouTube for more information on the programmes.
In January this year, we were super excited to announce that our matric class of 2015 had achieved a staggering 80% pass rate, beating the national average by 9%. Passing matric, however, is only the first hurdle that South African youth need to clear, in order to set themselves on the path towards earning a dignified living. IkamvaYouth strives to ensure that our learners access post school opportunities in the form of tertiary studies, learnerships/other apprenticeship programmes, and employment. IkamvaYouth are pleased to report an overall 90% placement rate for our class of 2015, an increase from last year’s 85%!
56% of the learners who passed are now pursuing tertiary studies, enrolled in a wide range of courses this year. The fields of study being pursued the most this year are science & engineering, with an impressive 25% of the cohort pursuing qualifications in these areas, followed by a close 19% of the learners enrolled in commercial studies. Other courses being pursued by our class of 2016 include Psychology, Legal studies, Nursing, Maritime studies, and Media/Marketing related studies.
After the excitement of passing matric, and then getting accepted into tertiary, our learners have to contend with yet another hurdle: accessing funds to finance their studies. While we are concerned about the high number of learners who have not yet secured funding for their studies this year, we are really pleased that most (57%) have secured funding through study loans (mostly through NSFAS: 43%) and bursaries/scholarships. We are particularly proud of these Ikamvanites who managed to secure bursaries/scholarships:
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Palesa Machabela from the Ebony Park branch received a university entrance bursary to study Human Life Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch.
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Thabang Rankeng, also from Ebony Park was awarded by the Gauteng City Region Academy, for being among the top three performing learners in his school. He is now studying towards a BSc (Chemistry) degree at Wits.
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Chumisa Yapi from Makhaza was awarded a university entrance bursary by UCT, to study towards a BSc degree.
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6 learners were awarded the prestigious Moshal Scholarship: Wandile Majozi and Nhlanhla Mabaso from Chesterville, both studying towards Bcom (accounting) degrees at UKZN; as well as 4 learners from Ebony Park: Puledi Chipape (Geological Sciences at Wits), Kefilwe Maake (Mechanical Engineering at UCT), Sharon Maota (Biological Sciences at Wits), and Onkarabile Kau (Computer Science at the University of Pretoria).
Here’s what 2 of the bursary recipients had to say:
“Ikamva has taught me the reward of focus and preparation especially when it comes to post matric preparation. Honestly without IkamvaYouth I would not have been heading into the bright future I am heading into today (Going to Stellenbosch University, my parents not having to pay for my fees)” – Palesa Machabela
“I feel very happy and blessed that the Moshal program granted me this scholarship. I really feel special and thank the program for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to further my studies. … Receiving the scholarship means … the world to me… it showed me that some people out there believe in me and have faith that I can do wonders in this field.” – Puledi Chipape
Congrats on getting your feet through the door towards a brighter future, Ikamvanites! We are so proud of what you’ve achieved so far, and are so looking forward to seeing you realise your dreams.
Lloyd Lungu