Learnerships
VAAL RIVER GUIDES SKILLS PROGRAMME
Applications of 20 candidates to qualify as legal river guides were received during 2015 . The funding for the entire programme was provided by CATHSSETA and were administered by this Association. The training provider was Adventure Qualifications Network, who handled the training and assessing.
Read on below. Join as a member of the Association, and use the Application form on this site or obtain one from our office.
The Dome Guides Association (DGA), was established during September 2013 with a democratically elected management committee and an approved constitution. The Association represents the interests of registered tourist guides and tourist operators in the Vredefort Dome area. The Association is recognised by the Free State and North-West Provincial Tourism Departments as well as the S.A. National Department of Tourism.
The DGA management committee negotiated and consulted widely with tourism authorities from Municipal level up to National level, in order to promote tourism and legalize tourist guiding in the Vredefort Dome area.
Concern was expressed about the large number of unqualified and unregistered River Guides at present operating on the Vaal River for Adventure operators. They are basically illegally guides.
In order to address the abovementioned situation the DGA approached the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sports Sector Education and training Authority (CATHSSETA) for a discretionary grant to finance the training of some of these illegal river guides.
The DGA was notified by Cathsseta that a discretionary grant was approved for the training of twenty (20) unqualified/unregistered river guides presently operating on the Vaal River in the Dome area.
To secure the CATHSSETA grant the DGA had to urgently submit a list of 20 unqualified river guides to the Authority. The due date was 02 March 2015. A urgent request was made to the operators and river guides to submit applications to participate in this skills program.
The training authority appointed by the DGA was Adventure Qualifications Network (AQN), an accredited training service provider with CATHSSETA.
A selection panel have interviewed and considered the applications receive, before the a list of prospective candidates was submitted to CATHSSETA for their final approval.
Future Skills Programmes:
To be considered for this skills program in future, the applicants must comply with the following selection criteria:
1. Educational standard: Minimum Grade 10. Preference may be given to Grade 12 applicants as the academic standard of the skills program is at Grade 12 level.
2. Applicants must have RSA citizenship or have a valid work permit in order to register on the program.
3. Applicants must proof their competency in swimming.
4. Applicants must proof their river guiding experience on the Vaal River by submitting trip log sheets approved by their operator(s).
5. Applicants must submit written recommendation(s) from operator(s) where they have done river guiding work.
6. Applicants must be committed to complete the skills program successfully in order to register as an adventure guide, Vaal River speciality.
7. Applicants will have to proof good communication skills in English.
8. Applicants must have access to the internet and e-mail addresses in order to receive communication and learning material.
Once the candidates are approved on the program the appointed training service provider AQN will communicate the details of the program and schedule to the trainees and their operators. There will be an active training phase followed by practical guided experience given by the participating river operator followed by competency assessment and evaluation by AQN.
It is important to note that CATHSSETA will only pay the grant to the DGA if trainees successfully complete 80% of the prescribed skills program unit standards at NQF level 4 (grade 12 level). Operators are, therefore, requested to play an active role to ensure that competent prospective trainees are selected.
For more information and application forms the DGA offices, tel. 071 695 8158 or the Secretary, Bennie Pretorius, tel. 082 924 3941, can be contacted.