The College continues to have a positive impact on the development of the youth in South Africa, opening doors for them through providing marketable skill sets in the context of conservation and the environment.
The Skills Development for Conservation (SDC) Department is an innovative, target driven training department within the Southern African Wildlife College that aims to inspire and educate the next generation of environmental protectors and leaders. It has embarked on a mission to deliver inclusive, accessible and effective youth and community targeted training programmes through offering Conservation and Community Development occupational programmes. The SDC Department has a long-established track record of partnering with various community-based organisations, state entities and other NGO’s in delivering much-needed training and development programmes to rural communities.
The department offers the Youth Access Bridging Course programme, the Advanced Certificate in Nature Conservation: Trans-frontier Conservation Management, the National Certificate: Natural Resource Management – Terrestrial NQF level 5 and the National Certificate: Resource Guardianship NQF level 2. Also offered are Skills Programmes such as Conservation General Assistant and Short Course programmes. These programmes are aimed at enhancing the performance of existing conservation employees and managers as well as creating opportunities for community and youth members to access employment in the conservation. The department also has a dedicated training project and community development initiative called the Rural Initiative for a Sustainable Environment (RISE).
The Skills Development for Conservation Department has previously been involved in the implementation of Conservation General Assistant programmes for the Department of Forestery, Fisheries and the Environmental (DFFE), Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) in the Environmental Protection Infrastructure Programmes in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Northern Cape Provinces. The Department implemented the first South Africa’s national Flagship Programme in national Certificates in Natural Resource Management Terrestrial and Resource Guardianship under the authority of the DEA in 2015. Forty-five youth from different provinces successfully completed the year-long programmes.
Another notable project is the Youth Environmental Services Programme that forms part of the National Government’s Development Strategy for youth development. The programme focuses on Environmental Awareness, Environmental Monitors and Waste Management Recycling. Just over 100 youth were trained in the stated fields. The department is also currently involved in training the National Skills Funded Resource Guardianship programmes. The National Skills Fund sponsored 70 youth from KwaZulu Natal communities surrounding the Mayibuye Nature Reserve through the Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation. This enabled 50 youth to complete the Resource Guardianship programme with a further 20 learners being trained in Conservation General Assistant programmes. The department is currently training 50 youth and women from the Western boundary of Kruger National Park in Resource Guardianship on the Small Medium Enterprise Programme.
The skills development programmes we offer in this department are designed to teach skill sets that are relevant to different occupations and at the same time are credited by CATHSSETA, so they can contribute towards nationally recognised qualifications.
All the qualifications offered at the College are recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Our learners achieve these qualifications through a combination of training sessions on campus and experiential learning back in the workplace.
The Rural Initiatives for a Sustainable Environment Unit (RISE) unit falls within the department and focuses on community-based natural resource management and good governance.
RISE collaborates with various organisations as a long-term partner in implementing community engagement programmes according to what each community might need or benefit from. RISE aims to both house and take the College’s Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) work forward. We currently support community programmes in Mozambique, Mpumalanga, and Kwa-Zulu Natal, specifically looking at the wildlife economy, targeted skills development, and environmental education, as well as facilitating CBNRM training.