The Final Word

How do you say goodbye to a 2nd home? This is what I have to do now. I have to say goodbye to Mpilonhle. I came to Mtuba five years ago. My first job here was as IT educator at Masibonisane High School. I then moved to Mpilonhle about 30 months ago.

I have taught 8 year olds, 18 year olds, 48 year olds and even 68 year olds how to use a computer during my time here. It has truly been a fulfilling job in many ways. I have travelled the length andd breadth of Mkhanyakude, to places where even people who were born here do not know. I have been to Ngwavuma, Mkhaliphi, Nkosibonga, Mfekayi, Dukuduku even Hluhluwe.

I have worked in more than 50 schools. I have been in high schools, primary schools, creches you name it I have worked in it.

The special thing about Mpilonhle is the people that you get to work with. They make everyday worth it. There have been unforgettable moments during the time I have been here. The closing year functions are great memories. The Boat ride and Cape vidal functions.

The One sight visit last year where we saw about 15000 people. The June camps during World cup where we also got a chance to attend some matches. I attended 3 games at Moses Mabhida. It should have been 4 but for the flu I missed the Semi-final.

I have to thank the Unit members from Unit 3. It has to be the craziest unit ever. We have had the most outspoken people at Mpilonhle. A unit that has a mind of its own. There was a time when we were called “a box of matches”. Reason was that our unit had all the explosives needed to blow things up and the only thing missing was some matches. I do not know how it happened but the loudest, craziestand funniest people all ended up in unit 3. Siyabonga, Sbahle, Anele, Nathi, Khethiwe, Sma, Phumelele, Snethemba, MamLungi and Sbu were all in the same unit. Crazy!

I have to say Themba, Slie Nyawo and Phumzile Zungu have fitted right into the Unit 3. I just hope the character of the unit and the spirit we had can be kept alive. We worked hard and played hard. Unit 3 will always be in my heart wherever I go. I will miss the singing at the back of the landrover.

In 2008 everything was new and exciting, 2009 everything we touched turned to gold, nothing could go wrong, I became Employee of the year, 2010 has been a tough year here. We lost some colleagues at the start of the year(Sthe and Sabelo) and others have left(Deli, Sbahle and Phindile). There was a 4 month period where we did not have any field assistants in the field. Those were tough months for all of us. Hopefully 2011 will be much better for everyone here at Mpilonhle.

I have to thank Michael Bennish(Programme Director) for the opportunity and the vision. He has great ideas, even the creation of this blog section was his vision. The IT department owes a lot to him. The innovations like synchronizing from the field came from him.

I have to mention my Co-ordinator Sakho. We have worked well together in many assignments like Registration and One Sight. It is not usual to have a coordinator that you can talk about the latest Formula 1 results, football scores and work with. When I first got here he would sometimes play computer games in his laptop in the afternoons but when we got our own IT office he changed and became serious about work.  It has been a pleasure working with you.

Out in the field I have worked with so many people from other Units that have made my time here enjoyable. I have to mention Mpi for his laid back relaxed mood. He is an easy person to work with cause his mood is always welcoming and is helpful. If you have a good idea about work you can just run it by him.

I am very proud when I look at how the website has changed since the first day I started working on it with Grant. There is a blog section, video gallery and the latest creation is the facebook page. The greatest joy was getting the site to be updated with the latest pictures and news stories from the field.

If you have not lifted a computer console, sat at the back of the landrover to Mkhaliphi, did registration in January or put up a tent then you have never worked at Mpilonhle.

The only thing left to say now is Ciao, Au revoir, See ya later, and goodbye.

Posted by on September 27, 2010 at 6:57 am.
Tags: Uncategorized —

Few Steps ahead by Sibusiso Mbhele

The growing trends in unemployment and lack of skills among job seekers have made it tough to get a job. Whether you are a graduate or just an ordinary job seeker finding a job is very competitive. ‘Entry level career seekers need to understand the job market’, says Kris Jarzebowski, MD of online recruitment agency Career Junction. ‘It isn’t just about gaining the skills, but gaining the right skill set for the market.’

Jarzebowski says that getting a job is about much more that just having a certificate. ‘People need to be active career –seekers and work on finding opportunities.’ The key to finding the right job, it appears, is to arm yourself with knowledge and to be persistent. However, while the skills shortage may be dire, graduates who are willing to do some research into where the skills gap lies and act on that information can benefit greatly.

Fundamentally, it helps if you know the area in which you’d like to work and the kind of company that appeals to you. Focus on the companies that are appropriate for your qualifications and career goals but retain some flexibility as first jobs are notoriously difficult to find even if you have a degree as most employers are looking for workers with experience. Therefore, being at the fore front of your career will ensure that you are relevant to the market.

Due to economic transformation, the need for skills changes with the demand of the market. Consequently, that is why for the job seeker it’s very crucial to be updated with the demands of the market. One will say, but what about the argument that it’s difficult to find work in South Africa? Schaffer has an interesting answer; ‘South Africa is undergoing a severe skills shortage at the moment. We desperately need people who can perform in areas like engineering, construction, ICT, healthcare, education , financial services , management and hospitality.’ However, it remains a challenge to the ‘previously disadvantaged groups to find themselves in such fields due to past imbalances. At the same time it’s the matter of argument because even those who are from universities are finding it hard to get jobs. Only the strong survives the competition! Work out your unique abilities beforehand.

So even though the job market for graduates is tighter than ever before, graduates in specific areas may not find themselves struggling as much as they may have expected. However, more emphasis than ever before is being placed on not just having the right degree but having the right attitude as well. Verily, the market demands that you show unique elements than just an ordinary job seeker. Joanna Preston, head of recruitment and development at First National Bank listed four top characteristics as self-management, interpersonal skills, self-motivation and self-insight as crucial for recruitment. Preparing yourself before finding yourself in the edge of growing percentage will do you a favour and be few steps ahead.

Posted by on September 14, 2010 at 4:28 am.
Tags: Success Stories —