Ten local residents from Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg who have dedicated themselves to rehabilitating the Hout Bay dunes, have received Ornamental Horticulture learnership certificates from the City of Cape Town earlier this week. With this qualification they have improved their own skills set and access to permanent employment opportunities in future.
The dune rehabilitation project is managed by the City’s Coastal Management Branch and covers approximately 50 000m� of re-profiled, netted and planted dune, which has significantly reduced the accumulation of sand on City infrastructure and private properties in the Hout Bay area.
The re-profiled dune comprises three areas, namely the fore-dune, buffer-dune and back-dune, and suitable dune vegetation has been planted according to the requirements for each dune area.
The Hout Bay dune rehabilitation project is an initiative aimed at managing the movement and migration of dunes. The profiling, wind netting, and planting of dune-specific vegetation have assisted in restricting the movement of sand, which has been a problem in this area for many years.
‘We have invested significant resources in the implementation of this project. Apart from the work that is being done to stabilise the Hout Bay dunes, we have also appointed 10 Expanded Public Work Programme (EPWP) workers to maintain the dunes. These workers were selected from the local subcouncil database and have benefitted from the temporary employment opportunities and skills development,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt.
The Hout Bay dune rehabilitation project is a pilot initiative to train and upskill EPWP workers.
‘This team has been working on the project for the past 24 months. While spending time on the dunes they have learned about wind net management, maintenance, seed collection, plant propagation, ecology, irrigation management, and fertiliser application. Thanks to the training they now qualify to provide contracted services if opportunities arise for the maintenance of the dune systems in future,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.
These skills are recognized as part of the National Qualification Framework. Certification is received at NQF level 1: Ornamental Horticulture Learnership and Alderman Nieuwoudt handed over the certificates on Thursday, 18 July 2019.
‘I am so proud of the immense enthusiasm and dedication shown by this team to have completed the training of the highest standard. It was our intention that this pilot project and training programme would provide those who participated with the necessary skills to apply for employment that requires experienced people with specialized skills in dune and coastal rehabilitation. Future job opportunities could also include working in the horticultural industry and at nurseries, or by subcontracting to bigger companies to do specific dune work or plant propagation,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.
City contracts have been secured for these workers for the next 18 months. These contracts will also include a NQF level 2 plant production learnership and AET Matric, as well as various other short courses for financial planning, life skills and Small Business Enterprise.
‘I trust that they will approach the next stage of their learning with the same vigour and energy that they’ve demonstrated during the completion of the first phase of this programme. To the recipients of the certificates I would like to give a word of encouragement as well. By protecting our environment we ensure a future for our children. It is not just a job; it is a calling and I heed you for answering that call,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.
Source: City Of Cape Town