The Graham & Rhona Beck Skills Centre outside Robertson saw 19 rural women receiving certificates after recently completing a training programme for wine tasting room assistants.
This piloted training programme, which is hoped to become an annual course, is a joint venture between Robertson Wine Valley, the Graham & Rhona Beck Skills Centre and the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
This modular programme was developed by the Graham & Rhona Beck Skills Centre after the need to skill tasting room personnel in the area was identified by the Robertson Wine Valley and the District Municipality had come on board with a sponsorship.
“Through this programme we not only wish to eradicate the backlog of skills and knowledge in the local industry by training existing and part-time personnel,” says Elizma Spangenberg, Manager Robertson Wine Valley. “We also wish to create a pool of candidates from which future positions can be filled, to curb costs and time spent on training new recruits, to create job opportunities and to build a positive image of the local wine and tourism industry.”
The course, which includes theoretical and practical components, was specifically developed for local unemployed, seasonal or temporarily employed women, preferably from a previously disadvantaged background and younger than 35. It covers modules ranging from technical wine knowledge, communication, basic finance management and introductory computer skills to more personal development aspects such as emotional intelligence, personal leadership and self-development.
This programme is part of a long-standing empowerment culture in the Langeberg municipal area, not only through the key role of the Skills Centre as a training facility, but also through private and public-private partnerships. Recent years have seen a range of diverse upliftment projects in Robertson, Montagu, Ashton, Bonnievale and McGregor.
As guest speaker, Elna Boesak, accomplished South African journalist, community activist and skills developer, paid tribute to their success during the Certificate Ceremony which was held at the Graham & Rhona Beck Skills Centre.
