The Department of Energy will today host the Energy Learners Focus Week (LFW) Awards in Durban.
“The LFW aims to address the shortage of technical skills in the energy sector that requires ongoing intervention by government and its stakeholders to promote skills development amongst the youth.
“Taking place during the year of the centenary of Tata Nelson Mandela and Mama Albertina Sisulu, the LFW 2018 reinforced an understanding and appreciation of the importance of young people opting to study the STEM [Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] subjects that are commonly avoided due to their difficulty,” the department said.
The schools that participated in the LFW are from inland provinces including the North West, Limpopo, Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal as the host.
The department said by sharing information on the wider career opportunities open to those who choose to challenge themselves by opting for the sciences, the programme has broadened awareness among Grade 10 – 12 learners interested in the energy sector.
Over the course of the week, learners were addressed by a variety of stakeholders, who shared with them educational advancement and career opportunities in the various areas of the sector from renewables, fossil fuels, hydrocarbons and nuclear.
The learners also took part in many activities, including innovative ways for them to do experiments at their schools, which may not have laboratories, and visited energy installations including the Avon Peaking Power Plant, the SAPREF and NAPREF refineries, as well as the Marianhill Landfill site.
In return, the learners competed in presentations that demonstrated their own innovative solutions to energy challenges that exist in their communities.
At today’s awards ceremony, learners will be rewarded with bursaries, laptops, tablets and other goodies for the effort demonstrated during the week.
The award ceremony is scheduled to get underway at 5pm at the Durban City Hall.
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