Photo: A group from Kanana participate in a skills training and entrepreneurship workshop focused on solar energy.
The Kanana informal settlement is home to approximately 3,000 people. It is located close to one of the project sites within a farming region, a rural area. This location lacks access to grid-connected infrastructure such as water and electricity. The local youth lacks skills to access the job market and economic opportunities are few.
Working with Bio2Watt and Climate Investor Two, a local development organisation called Knowledge Pele has successfully completed the series of renewable energy skills training and entrepreneurship programmes focused on solar energy which consisted of two levels of training. In total, the two programmes ran for a period of 16-month, broken into two 8-month programmes.
The programme is overseen by a retired Professor from the University of Johannesburg and culminates in a written exam and a practical assessment. The students also complete an internship at company that they are placed in for a period of 3-months. The students successful graduated with a certificate linked to South Africa’s national curriculum in electrical engineering.
In addition to building skills and knowledge, programmes like these help to provide the local youth with an understanding of the importance of clean energy to their local community and the wider economy. Crucially, they also help to build confidence and ambition among young people, empowering them to contribute to a more sustainable future.
