The NNR gets involved in the annual hope – Mandeville Disability Careers Expo 2017

Every year for the last six years Hope School hosts a Career Expo inviting all LSEN schools (Learners with Special Educational Needs) to participate. This year the NNR joined in the initiative along various government and non-government organisations such as Accenture, Deloitte, Ekurhuleni Artisan Training College, the SAPS etc. The expo took place on the 19th – 20th of April in Westcliffe, Johannesburg.

NNR Human Resources Practitioner, Pamela Bapela, explained that “The main purpose for participating in the Expo was to discuss the career and bursary opportunities that are available within the NNR and to share information with the learners about NNR and its mandate. Personally, it was to share to the learners that disability should not define them. There are so many opportunities out there for people with disabilities and they should not fear nor doubt themselves, I know how they feel, I can relate because I’m a person living with a disability. I shared with the learners that it was not easy but with perseverance I made it. They must just focus on their studies and make sure they get good grades because everything is dependent on that.”

The expo included an outdoor exhibition as well career talks from various organisations from the corporate industry, government sector and academic institutions. The main objective of the platform was for the learners to see that there are endless opportunities out there waiting for them. Many of the speakers who participated were specifically individuals living with disabilities who came to motivate and inspire the young ones.

Over the course of the two days the NNR had engaging presentations that encouraged learners to participate and learn more about nuclear regulation and the role of the NNR within the nuclear industry of South Africa. The learners were highly interested in the information shared regarding careers available as well as the NNR bursary programme. Both Tshepiso Mogorosi from the Communications Department and Dumisani Maretele from Design Safety spoke to the learners about the role of the NNR outlining the various facilities that are regulated by the NNR and the history of nuclear in the country. Ms Bapela spoke to the learners about the bursary opportunities of the NNR including the criteria and requirements of the bursary programme. She stressed to the learners that the NNR bursary programme is awarded on the basis of academic merit to exceptional learners and students. She also outlined the courses which the NNR offers funding for.

The expo is an annual fund raising initiative formed through a partnership between Hope School and Mandeville Disability Swimming. This year the expo welcomed more than 500 learners from more than 14 LSEN schools from the Gauteng province. Of those close to half were learners from grade 12. Grade 12 learners are encouraged to bring their CV’s to the expo so they can be placed onto the Hope School learner’s CV database which is shared with participating organisations so learners may have an opportunity to get learnerships, internships, bursaries and permanent employment. According to Paddy Slattery, who is the event coordinator that has been heading this initiative since inception, the expo has become more than a fund raising opportunity over the years to a platform that enables organisations and learners to build informed, long lasting relationships.

Hope School

Hope School was first established in 1916 when mining magnate, Raymond Schumacher, placed his home on Westcliffe Ridge in trust for the purpose of housing disabled children. Hope Home was named after his wife, Hope, which epitomizes everything the Home stands for, with an overarching focus on improving the quality of the lives of physically disabled children. The school provides education to physically disabled learners from the age of three years to grade 12. The school follows the same curriculum as ordinary mainstream schools with matriculants writing the National Senior Certificate Exams. Hope School provides weekly boarding facilities to boys and girls with senior professional staff on duty 24 hours. The school has four buses which services specific routes providing transport at a low cost to day scholars.