Good Work Foundation has grown exponentially over the past few years, and importantly, grown initiatives strategically aligned to the needs of the country. One such initiative is the GWF Travel & Tourism Academy.
In South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, close to some of the most celebrated safari businesses in the world, there is a shortage of hospitality training programmes for young adults. This gap is even more surprising when you consider that in the Bushbuckridge municipality, adjacent to the Greater Kruger National Park, there is a 65% youth unemployment rate. The need to create skilled young people equipped for this industry is imperative.
Vast Opportunities in the Economy of Wildlife
Considering the geographic location of the Hazyview Cluster and potential growth for campuses into the northern part of the Sabi Sand Wildtuin, there is opportunity to supply skills to some of South Africa’s most upmarket hospitality establishments. There are currently just short of 40 operating lodges (ranging from 3-5 star) in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin alone, with a further 100 smaller establishments between Hoedspruit and Hazyview. A major concern expressed by business managers and owners is that the level of service skill they require currently far outweighs the level of skill available in the local communities. While many of these businesses would like to employ local labour, and are even willing to train and develop staff, they often don’t have the capacity to do so given their primary objectives in business operations.
GWF would like to develop its Travel & Tourism Academy even further to specialize in world class service training for its students. The intention is to connect young rural South Africans to the huge opportunities in the growing economy of wildlife. Driven by needs and expertise, GWF aims to train students that can meet the standard that is needed in hospitality establishments, reducing the training and development needed once graduates are placed.
Given the evident demand for travel and tourism skills needed in the area that GWF is working in, as well as the network that it continues to establish, the need for a larger and more specialised Travel & Tourism Academy is clear.
The Good Work Foundation Hazyview Campus Proposed Expansion
Good Work Foundation Campus: Proposed Expansion Plan
HDLC, in its current form, does not have the capacity and infrastructure to support the level of growth that is needed and thus, GWF plans to expand the TTA. This expansion would see growth in student capacity to enrol up to 100 students annually and the establishment of the new TTA wing, including fully equipped practical training space. GWF proposes staggered growth, targeting 50 students in 2020 and then 75 to 100 students in 2021.
The below table outlines the support required for the expansion. Please reach out to Gemma or Verena to find out more and download the prospectus here
