Coal exploration and mining company Canyon Coal, a subsidiary of investment company Menar, held a graduation ceremony for the 2021 Adult Education Training (AET) graduates at its Khanye Colliery in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng on 30 November 2021. 

AET forms part of the skills development commitment within the Social and Labour Plan (SLP) for Khanye Colliery. AET aims to develop the educational levels of the community through learning. The programme offers all eligible employees and community members opportunities to become functionally literate and numerate. 

City of Tshwane Deputy-Director of Community and Social Development Sevices Gregory Koketso Sebothoma, who attended the ceremony, stated that the mine has planted the seeds which graduates must now nurture to fully reap the rewards for all their hard work. “This graduation ceremony should be viewed as the beginning of the learners' educational journey and not the end of the story,” he said. 

Speaking on behalf of the graduates Maladeria Maseko (21) from Zithobeni, said: “I am very thankful to Canyon Coal for offering me and the other participants this programme. We have gained new skills and knowledge which will help us go forward in life.” 

Menar SLP manager Nthabiseng Ocia Mueti said 66 learners from the community had benefitted from Khanye Colliery’s AET programme from 2018 to date. “AET introduces and promotes the culture of learning in line with the principles of National Qualification Framework (NQF), which advocates for progressive learning. It provides the foundation for acquiring the knowledge and skills required to access further qualifications and training,” she said. 

Mueti noted that in 2020 Canyon Coal encouraged more in-house retraining and skills upgrading of our employees and community members. “This included the R267 500 renovation of the onsite of the Khanye Colliery training facility for AET programmes,” she said 

Mueti commended the graduates for striving to empower themselves educationally. “There are individuals within the community that could not complete school. The AET programme provides an opportunity for such individuals to become functionally literate and numerate and also increases the opportunities of further enrolling for other skills development programmes and employment opportunities,” she stated. 

The graduation ceremony was held in strict accordance with COVID-19 Alert level 1 regulations which included the wearing of face masks, maintaining physical distances of 1. 5 metres and observing social gathering number limitations.