TRIPLE E TRAINING HOLDINGS

Mathematical classes are not the most favourite amongst learners and students at education institutions. However, most of us take it for granted that we are able to count and perform basic calculations without the use of a calculator. We need these skills to fulfil certain simple tasks in society such as purchasing items. Some people in South Africa do not have these maths skills and are in dire need of education and training. But before a person can learn to count and calculate, they must also be able to read and write. The Adult Basic Education and Training programme that was rolled out by government in association with SETA’s aims to eliminate the problem of illiteracy and the lack of mathematical skills in the country.

Due to the nature of the financial and accounting sector, less than 3% of the workforce does not have basic education. It is however important to improve this figure and provide basic education and training to these employees. FASSET, the Sector Education and Training Authority for the financial and accounting sector, encourages employers to implement the Adult Basic Education and Training programme to facilitate this learning process. They provide funding as well as accredited preferred ABET facilitators that are trained to take into account the unique factors within this industry. The project has been rolled out around the country and offers this incentive to employees and employers who have registered with FASSET.

The Adult Basic Education and Training programme teaches a learner basic reading, writing and maths skills. Basic viewing skills are also a part of the course and refer to a learners’ ability to interpret the written word as well as images and respond to them. The written word or images can come in a variety of forms of media from television to newspaper and magazines. These viewing skills are taught from the first level right through to the fourth level of the course. The skills are especially important to the testing and examination phase of the Adult Education and Training programme as questions and references need to be interpreted correctly to enable the learner to answer questions.

You may not see the necessity for an adult person to learn to speak. Most of us learn to speak in the first years of our lives simply by copying our parents. However, if your parents are not using language in the correct way, you cannot learn to speak correctly. The next step to learning to speak is when we reach school age and your teachers begin correcting any errors in your speech. Many people in South Africa have not had the opportunity to go to school and therefore their speaking has never improved. An adult basic education and training programme will assist individuals who want to learn to speak correctly or learn to speak a different language.

When you learn basic communication skills you will also gain a range of other benefits. To begin with, greeting a person in the correct manner is very important. This means that you need to have an understanding of both their language and their culture. You will learn etiquette and what is considered good manners. Learning the basic language of another person is the first thing that you need to do but speaking is just one way of communicating. Body language and facial expressions are also and important tool in communicating effectively. You can gain these and other skills by taking a basic or more advanced course in communications.

You don’t have to be a philanthropist and donate money to assist in educating the South African nation. If you are an educated person, you can help by passing on your skills to illiterate people by teaching Basic English. English is the common language that we use to enable us to better communicate in various areas. Having access to gainful employment necessitates the ability to speak English. Once a person has learnt to speak English, they can further their skill set by taking a Basic English reading and writing course. You can once again assist simply by teaching people these skills.

It is taken for granted in society that most people are able to read and write. The truth is that millions of South Africans do not have even basic reading or writing skills. There are also a great number of people who need to develop reading skills as well as writing. Functioning in today’s world necessitates the need to be able to read and write. Applying for the most basic services requires completing of documents that not only need to be read but completed. People that do not have these skills need to trust and rely on others who may not have their best interests at heart.

Can you imagine going through life without possessing basic writing skills? To be able to access even the simplest institutions of modern society, we need to be able to at least write our names. Yet there are millions of South Africans who are unable to perform even this simple task due to a lack of education. The constitution of our country is recognised as one of the best constitutions in the world and provides for many human rights including the right to education of every citizen. Thus many initiatives have been launched across the country to ensure that each and every South African has access to adult basic education and training in their community. It is important for every educated person to find out how they can become involved in these initiatives and convey the value of an education and pass on their skills.

Due to the legacy of Apartheid many South Africans do not have an adequate education. During the Apartheid years it was government policy to provide black learners with an inferior education in order to prevent them from competing for the same jobs held by white people. Today ABET providers are closing the skills gap that exists due to the Apartheid educational policies. Without their work South Africa will never be able to compete on the global stage. Skills like mathematics and literacy are essential not only to the growth of the economy but to the wellbeing of every citizen in this country.

The ABET literacy training for adults have four levels. Starting at NQF1 and ending at NQF4 the ABET literacy training has as aim the provision of education to empower people to gain knowledge, understanding and valuable literacy skills in the specific language. There is a difference in ABET literacy training for adults and school education. The ABET literacy training is structured to teach adults how to read, write, understand and communicate in a specific language in a shorter timeframe than that offered in the school system. As such it is focussed on skills that can be applied immediately in the workplace and the learner’s day to day living. It runs over a shorter period, is presented in a highly interactive way and is not group focussed, but individual focussed allowing the person to progress at his or her own pace without having to compete with others in the group.