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Special course at Training centre
Bergzicht wilderness experience

Bergzicht Training & Development Centre has been active in Stellenbosch since 1992, and supported by the HSF ever since. Thousands of young people have gained important skills through its tailor-made training courses, which opened opportunities for permanent employment. Now, a 3-day Wilderness Camp has become part of the Bergzicht curriculum.

 

Circle of people: Participants enjoy and value the Wilderness Camp experience

Participants enjoy and value the Wilderness Camp experience

HSF

Supporting life-skills development

This wonderful local NGO fosters self-leadership and employability through vocational skills training for underprivileged young people, built on a solid foundation of life skills education. The organization's holistic approach has proven to be a recipe for success - and the Bergzicht Wilderness Experience has been included in the program in recent years. The 3-day camp is a unique development opportunity for Bergzicht students who often live in communities marked by unemployment, poverty, addiction, gender-based violence and gangsterism. The programme has become a fundamental component of the Bergzicht Student Development Programme and greatly enhances the growth of life skills beyond the safety of the classroom.

 

Group picture: The 3-day camps have become an integral part of the curriculum of the Bergzicht Training & Development Centre in Stellenbosch

The 3-day camps have become an integral part of the curriculum of the Bergzicht Training & Development Centre in Stellenbosch

HSF

Facilitating long-term career success

The impact of the Wilderness Experience may also play a role in the recent growth in employment retention statistics of Bergzicht Alumni - to which the new module is thought to have contributed as well, amongst other factors. After completing the skills training and placement support, Bergzicht alumni are mentored and tracked for 12 months in their workplaces. Since the inception of the Wilderness Experience, retention has grown from 30% measured in 2018 to 77% at the end of 2022. It has been an important part of the Bergzicht philosophy to ensure that students not only gain certified skills, but that they can also develop their capacity to build sustainable careers. 

 

 

 

 

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