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The Third Set of Graduates from KAO at Ntlafatso Skills Training Centre

24 July 2024

On the 11th of July 2024, proud parents of students from Kao attending Ntlafatso Skills Training Centre, celebrated with this third set of graduates from Kao at a graduation ceremony held at Mohale’s Hoek. The ceremony is a culmination of SMD’s Community Investment Strategy which is characterized by investments in numerous initiatives to develop the communities surrounding the operations of the mine with major focus areas being capacity building and skills training.

The students were graduating in carpentry, bricklaying, and plumbing. Ntlafatso Skills Training Centre is a vocational skills training institution in Mohale’s Hoek fully sponsored by Kao Mine which offers skills training in cooking and catering, plumbing, bricklaying, motor mechanics, panel beating and spray painting, carpentry, sewing and computer and business skills.

The institution was dilapidated, closed and not operational due to lack of funds until 2019 when SMD went into partnership with the institution which led to the renovation and maintenance of the facility. Not only did the mine renovate and maintain the school, but it also continues to procure meals for consumption of the students for the duration of their studies, learning aids, teaching materials and equipment amongst others. The youth are also fully sponsored with tuition, stipend, transport, and medical needs.

In order to ensure investment beyond the life of mine, to date, 93 youth from Kao have graduated from the institution and SMD will continue to fully sponsor the youth of Kao until they have all acquired at least one skill in order to increase their employability or to capacitate them to create their own work/jobs because the future of this country is in the hands of the youth of this country.