Our Stories

With a youth unemployment rate of 65% in many areas of rural South Africa, it is critical that every effort is made to support young people from these communities. As GWF scales its operations, it continues to implement best practice education programmes for the thousands of rural young adults who are unemployed and who do not have access to tertiary education.

In pursuit of that goal, we have developed the Bridging Academy curriculum; a yearlong course that enables adults to become proficient in skills that are required in a 21st century workspace. The programme has evolved over time from an initial focus on digital and English skills to a holistic six-module programme. It aims to equip our students with the skills, self-knowledge, drive, motivation and sense of purpose needed to take their next steps in life. Throughout this process, the Academy provides learners with practical seminars that focus on applied learning.

We also make use of psychometric assessments, as well as both pre- and post-tests, to measure impact, as well as career pathing tools to give weight to the career module. We aim for over 70% of students go on to a job, an internship or a further study opportunity within 12 months of graduating.