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SOUTH AFRICA: Youth gain maritime skills to begin careers

Waves of Change Maritime Program forges strategic partnerships with companies

SOUTH AFRICA

(MissionNewswire) Salesian Institute Youth Projects is offering a beacon of hope through maritime skills training for youth facing unemployment in South Africa. To address the critical national need for employment and skills training, the Waves of Change Maritime Program specifically targets young people, ages 18 to 35, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds in and around Cape Town. Many of these youth struggle to support their families and build promising futures because of a lack of educational opportunities.

Youth unemployment in Cape Town remains one of the city’s most pressing challenges. Young people also face the temptation of gangs and drugs, with many risking homelessness as well as cycles of violence and dependency.

“Salesian Institute Youth Projects offers a crucial alternative,” said Abraham Lottering, Waves of Change Maritime Program manager. “Through structured, transformative programs, we guide youth toward sustainable employment and skills development.”

Salesian Institute Youth Projects is situated close to the Cape Town harbor and has strategically partnered with leading sea fishing companies and accredited maritime training institutions approved by the South African Maritime Safety Authority. Together, they provide rigorous training that empowers participants to embark on careers at sea, whether on local fishing vessels or through cruise lines which allow youth to travel and see the world.

The program begins with a three-day orientation session, followed by a 10-day life skills program, and preparing participants for the challenges and responsibilities of maritime work. The program then provides formal maritime training required to enter the industry, including safety protocols and technical skills. By the end, participants gain the key qualifications of South African Maritime Safety Authority Medical Certificates, seafarer’s logbooks and certificates of discharge.

“The Waves of Change Maritime Program isn’t just about providing training. It’s about creating a pathway to stability and self-sufficiency for youth who may otherwise have no access to such opportunities,” explained Father Francois Dufour, CEO of the Salesian Institute Youth Projects. “We’re not only giving them skills. We’re instilling hope and enabling them to change their lives and positively impact their communities.”

Salesian Institute Youth Projects has been providing education, emotional support and skills development training for at-risk youth in Cape Town since 1910. It has been instrumental in changing the lives of hundreds of at-risk and vulnerable youth who would otherwise not have been able to access the job market.

Poverty is extensive in South Africa with more than half the population and more than 63% of children living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF. A significant percentage of the population struggles to survive on less than $1 a day. The country is plagued by high crime rates and violence against women and girls, and it has been the hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis in the world. There is an urgent need for education to help prevent the spread of the deadly virus and to help lift youth out of poverty.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS) 

ANS – South Africa – Empowering Cape Town’s Youth Without Hope: Salesian Institute Youth Projects Opens Doors to the Maritime Industry

Salesian Institute Youth Projects

Salesian Institute Youth Projects Facebook

Salesian Institute Youth Projects Waves of Change

Salesian Missions – South Africa

UNICEF – South Africa