Aphiwe wins one for Westlake

A total of 40 electrical and plumbing lecturers from TVET institutions around the country participated virtually in the training. The programme facilitated interdisciplinary work between the electrical and plumbing trades, which mirrors successful cooperation between the trades in the workplace.

The purpose of the training was to introduce the latest methodologies in occupational teaching and learning to TVET lecturers. The training exposed lecturers to real-life industry projects from their inception at the client request stage, to commissioning, planning, project installation, quality checking and client hand-over.

False Bay TVET College academic staff receive regular industry exposure training and are required to attain several hours of workplace exposure to ensure that they able to provide current curricula to the students, improving their employability resilience.

The recent training ensured that the participating lecturers were exposed to employment and workplace-orientated competencies as required by the latest industry standards. Twenty-first century competencies were further addressed through virtual self-study, live & off-line digital platform learning, cross-trade teamwork and practical installation sessions at industry.

Mr Adonisi won first prize for False Bay TVET College, for having made a compelling contribution to the training programme, and for his superior participation, assessment submissions and overall technical trade knowledge.

The prize, a 65-inch interactive TV screen called an EduBoard, will assist blended learning for enhanced teaching and learning at the electrical department.

On hearing the news of the award, Carol Dwyer, Blended Learning Manager at False Bay TVET College, said: “This is a wonderful addition to the lecturers’ teaching toolbox and means that we will be capacitated with the latest technology that can be used for teaching and learning. This is a win for the lecturer, the College and the student.”

What made the win more enjoyable for Aphiwe was the fact that this was the second time he won something he greatly prized at the venue. Before joining the teaching fraternity, he was a TVET student and passed his trade test at the very same Westlake Campus.

The addition of the EduBoard will further enhance the College’s blended delivery mix and contribute to giving students a deeper knowledge and understanding through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. This technology, and the accompanying training, is a wonderful addition to the range of technical advances False Bay TVET College has rolled out recently to enhance teaching and learning. Not only will the students’ learning experiences be enhanced, but the EduBoard will assist the College’s lecturing staff to keep up with trending technology and pedagogical developments in the sector. Other recent technological investments include:

• The addition of an online application system with fully integrate processes from Enquiries to Alumni related matters, including the incorporation of all previous data systems.
  
• Transition to a cloud-based Learner Management System so that students can enjoy greater access to traditional and new learning resources with greater flexibility.
  
• The roll-out of Office 365 to all registered students.
  
• Installation of a state-of-the-art video conference centre – following a bilateral agreement between the governments of India and South Africa – that will enable a lecturer, subject expert or guest speaker to interact in real time with students connecting from anywhere in the world via audio or video, while using multimedia or digital tools such as interactive whiteboards.