PowerPoint Presentation

WESSA CLEAN CURRENTS PROJECT SUMMARY Problem Statement: The renewable energy sector in South Africa is experiencing unprecedented growth in local installations of technologies, the establishment of solar and wind farms, and the use of hybrid systems within households across the country. This is in reaction to both the favourable climate conditions that the country has to make such resources efficient, alongside the move away from fossil fuels to power energy, to a more sustainable and green focused energy transition, especially as the country experiences the direct effects of climate change. The question within this context is whether the countries education system is currently producing a pipeline of skilled and knowledgeable youth who can either find meaningful employment in the sector, or become entrepreneurs in this market. While the investment into resources and skills programmes is apparent in training programmes and vocational colleges, the mainstream government education system has a very minimal focus specifically on both knowledge acquisition and skills development amongst youth on specific renewable energy resources. WESSA have developed a set of curriculum-linked activities and programmes that focus on both Primary and High School students and teachers, where educators work within schools to introduce and deliver these programmes to schools who would normally not receive such exposure. The objective of this is to start creating a skill set amongst the future generation of young school leavers who can then enter into this economy and be successful within it.