GO GEORGE champions | George Municipality
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GO GEORGE champions
Mayoral project benefits bus service
An enthusiastic team of 30 champions have been deployed to inform and assist GO GEORGE passengers during the latest series of route refinements. These champions are part of a special mayoral project to create temporary job opportunities for unemployed residents living in the areas where the bus service is due to roll out next.
During the fixed term contract period, successful applicants will not only acquire new skills, but experience that will serve them well in future job applications too, while earning a welcome stipend during their practical training, and a salary as part of their temporary contract work.
The opportunity was advertised through an open process in the local papers during May 2016, which was scheduled to be in time for the planned Phase 4 roll-out to Thembalethu, Borcherds, Lawaaikamp, Conville and Parkdene in July last year. Recruitment was also aimed at people on the Affected Persons Register (a register of people who are affected by the minibus taxi service being replaced by the bus service), as well as unemployed individuals nominated by the ward councillors of the area.
A group of 44 candidates meeting the criteria (four candidates from each of the 11 municipal wards in Phase 4) were selected for training in communication skills, focused on community information and education. The SETA-accredited training course includes a practical component which must be completed before the champions may receive their certificates.
The champion project was aimed at providing trained temporary workers to assist with the education and information of Phase 4 passengers before roll-out to their areas. This roll-out has been postponed repeatedly, with the 30 champions who were still available, finally being contracted for the planned roll-out on 11 December 2016. After yet another postponement four days before the expected date, the champions were immediately retrained on the details of the December route refinements and deployed as part of the refinement communication team.
Working as champions for GO GEORGE for a period of three months now, is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties: The bus service benefits from the champions’ engagement with passengers during route refinements, while the champions are completing the practical component of their training.
Althea Slater from Borcherds is the mother of four daughters and was unemployed when she applied to become part of the champions project. “The community communication training we received, together with the specific training on the bus service, really equipped me in such a way that I feel confident to inform and guide passengers,” she says. “It was a special privilege to stand in as information officer at the info kiosk in the CBD over the holiday season too. It felt so good to experience passengers’ trust and gratitude. Being a GO GEORGE champion is truly expanding my world.”
GO GEORGE champions were at the Transport Hub on Monday, making sure some learners from PW Botha College understand where and when to transfer to the right bus home. From the left are Ntombi Hala (champions team leader), Charollin Sparks, Shiwardene Smith, Althea Slater (a champion who was trained to stand in at the GO GEORGE info kiosk over the holiday season), Bernadict Sparks and Dieketseng Mosesane (champion team leader).
GO GEORGE baat by burgemeestersprojek
‘n Entoesiastiese span van 30 inligtingsbeamptes (in die omgang bekend as champions) is ontplooi om GO GEORGE-passasiers tydens die jongste reeks roeteverfynings in te lig en by te staan. Hierdie inligtingsbeamptes is deel van ‘n spesiale burgemeestersprojek om tydelike werksgeleenthede vir werklose inwoners in die gebiede waar die busdiens volgende moet uitrol, te skep.
Suksesvolle aansoekers sal tydens die tydperk van die vastetermynkontrak nie net nuwe vaardighede ontwikkel nie, maar ook ervaring opdoen wat hulle goed te staan sal kom met toekomstige werksaansoeke. Terselfdertyd verdien hulle ‘n welkome toelaag gedurende hul praktiese opleiding, en ‘n salaris tydens die termyn van die kontrak.
Die geleentheid is in Mei 2016 deur middel van ‘n oop proses in die plaaslike koerante geadverteer sodat die span gereed sou wees vir die beplande uitrol van Fase 4 van die busdiens na Thembalethu, Borcherds, Lawaaikamp, Conville en Parkdene in Julie verlede jaar. Werwing is ook gemik op mense wat geraak is deur die minibus-taxibedryf wat deur die busdiens vervang word en geregistreer is op die APR (Affected Persons Register), sowel as werklose individue wat deur die wyksraadslede van dié woonbuurte genomineer is.
‘n Groep van 44 kandidate wat aan die vereistes voldoen het (vier kandidate uit elkeen van die 11 munisipale wyke in Fase 4) is gekies vir opleiding in kommunikasievaardighede, met spesifieke fokus op gemeenskapinligting en -opvoeding. Die SETA-geakkrediteerde kursus sluit ‘n praktiese komponent wat voltooi moet word voordat die inligtingsbeamptes hul sertifikate kan ontvang, in.
Die doel van die inligtingsbeampte-projek was om tydelike werkers op te lei om bystand te verleen met die opvoeding en inligting van Fase 4-passasiers voor die uitrol na daardie gebiede. Hierdie uitrol is herhaaldelik uitgestel, maar die 30 inligtingsbeamptes wat nog beskikbaar was, is uiteindelik gekontrakteer vir die beplande uitrol op 11 Desember 2011. Na nóg ‘n uitstel vier dae voor die beplande datum, is die inligtingsbeamptes dadelik opgelei ten opsigte van die besonderhede van die Desemberroeteverfynings en ontplooi as deel van die kommunikasiespan vir die verfynings.
Die uitvoering van hul driemaandekontrak as GO GEORGE-inligtingsbeamptes is ‘n reëling wat vir albei partye voordeel inhou: Die busdiens baat by die inligtingsbeamptes se skakeling met passasiers gedurende roeteverfynings, terwyl die inligtingsbeamptes die praktiese komponent van hul opleiding voltooi.
Althea Slater van Borcherds is die ma van vier dogters en was werkloos toe sy aansoek doen om deel van die inligtingsbeampte-projek te word. “Die gemeenskapskommunikasie-opleiding wat ons ontvang het, saam met die spesifieke opleiding oor die busdiens, het my werklik so goed toegerus dat ek die selfvertroue het om passasiers in te lig en te lei,” sê sy. “Dit was net so ‘n spesiale voorreg om gedurende die vakansieseisoen in te staan as inligtingsbeampte by die inligtingskiosk in die middedorp. Dit het so lekker gevoel om te sien die passasiers vertrou my en waardeer my hulp. Om ‘n GO GEORGE-inligtingsbeampte te wees, brei regtig my wêreld uit.”
Die GO GEORGE-inligtingsbeamptes was Maandag ook by die vervoerkern (Hub) en het seker gemaak dat ‘n groepie leerders van PW Botha-kollege verstaan waar en wanneer hulle moet oorklim op die regte bus huis toe. Van links is Ntombi Hala (spanleier), Charollin Sparks, Shiwardene Smith, Althea Slater (‘n inligtingsbeampte wat opgelei is om gedurende die vakansieseisoen by die GO GEORGE-inligtingskiosk in die middedorp in te staan), Bernadict Sparks en Dieketseng Mosesane (spanleier).