Go for Gold is an education to employment programme designed to help disadvantaged students study and find work.
The programme was designed to unlock the potential for disadvantaged South African youth, approximately half of young people are unemployed due to a serious skills shortage. Many high school students today, who attend under-resourced schools in disadvantaged areas, will struggle to achieve a Bachelor-level pass rate.
“Go for Gold is an award-winning ‘education-to-employment’ public-private initiative, founded in 1999 through a collaboration between companies in the Built Environment, the Western Cape Department of Education and civil society.”
Go for Gold starts with high school students from grade 11 to 12 interested in pursuing careers in the built environment and focuses on the provision of Maths and Science tuition, computer skills and Life Skills and Leadership Development training. The programme aims to assist students to achieve a Bachelor’s Pass so they can get into university. Once they have achieved a bachelor pass, they are enrolled into a paid work experience year at a Go for Gold partner company which then helps them decide what they should study at University. The Go for Gold partner companies offer bursary opportunities and guaranteed employment once qualified.
The programme is committed to enable more young people from disadvantaged communities across South Africa to study towards a technical profession and secure employment.. Currently it is open to students in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth and works in schools as identified by the Department of Education. Go for Gold’s education-to-employment programme has already helped over 600 learners and enabled more than 24 companies to employ young graduate professionals from disadvantaged communities.
Go for Gold prides itself on its successful stats to date.
-In 2016 for Matric, one of our students achieved 100% for science and 99% for mathematics. A number of students showed a remarkable 20 percentile improvement in both subjects.
– In 2014 and 2015, 100% of all Phase 1 Go for Gold students achieved an NSC pass and 80% achieved a
Bachelor’s Pass– On average 80% of Phase 3 Go for Gold students complete their tertiary studies in the minimum period
allowed– 100% of students secure job placement after they qualify
Go for Gold is reaching out to find benefactors to help fund the extra maths and science tuition classes in Phases 1 and 2, as well as seeking companies to partner with the organisation who are able to provide job training and a paid internship. For more information about the programme or if you are wanting to fund students see more here
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