Community development practitioners to be recognised

Community Development Practitioners who remain vital in changing the living conditions of poor and vulnerable communities will be honoured in a graduation ceremony on Wednesday. 'Rural and township communities depend largely on community development programmes and services to better their lives,' the Department of Social Development said in a statement. The Department of Social Development will host the ceremony in collaboration with the Health and Welfare Sector Education Training Authority (HWSETA), in Worcester, Western Cape. The ceremony is a partnership between the department and other stakeholders, including, the South African Council for Social Service Professionals that is in the process of professionalising Community Development Practice. Other stakeholders that are part of this the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) include the HWSETA, Education Training Development Practice Sector Education Training Authority (ETDPSETA), and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) such as University of Western Ca pe, University of Free State, and the University of Johannesburg. The department said the primary purpose is to recognise Community Development Practitioners who passed their Community Development Practice at NQF Level 5 at institutions of higher learning. 'Given high levels of unemployment in the country which affects many South Africans, especially, the youth, the graduation will not only serve as a recognition ceremony, but also assist graduates to apply for work opportunities and advance their career development through the acquired certificates,' the department said. To date, 555 Community Development Practitioners have graduated across the country, and the last cohort of 26 graduates will be from the Western Cape. Source: South African Government News Agency