WESTERN CAPE SCHOOLS’ SUPPORT PROGRAMME
WESTERN CAPE SCHOOLS’ SUPPORT PROGRAMME
The Western Cape Government (WCG), through the Western Cape Department of Local Government (WCDLG) successfully applied for the Jobs Fund for grant funding of R99 563 000 million. This is to implement the Western Cape Schools’ Support Programme in collaboration with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED). This programme is aimed at providing skills development to 9936 unemployed matriculants, between the ages 18 to 25 and employment opportunities to 2982. The project will run over a period of four years. Furthermore, the WCED made a contribution of R19 913 000 million to match the funding available and appointed Casidra as their implementation agency of choice to roll out the entire programme.
Casidra will, play a critical role to administer the programme on behalf of all the funders. This will include procurement of services, induction, training and managing the programme’s beneficiaries. “We will pay stipends of programme beneficiaries and disburse tranche payments as per agreements to implementing partners, as well as ensure that administration-related issues pertaining to the requirements of the programme are managed and resolved with implementing partners”, says Leon Faro, Senior Project Manager of Casidra.
Casidra will also facilitate information dissemination between the implementing partners and the programme partners, keep financial records in accordance with acceptable financial procedures, collate quarterly financial reports and stamped bank account statement(s) in support of the cash flow statements for the quarter and cumulative for the financial year from implementing partners for the WCDLG.
Furthermore, Casidra will also receive quarterly reports from implementing partners, set up monitoring and evaluation systems, which are aligned with the project monitoring and evaluation, and track programme beneficiary contracts, training and placement. The task teams will have monthly meetings, regular monthly reports in agreed templates and conduct an independent audit report for the allocated funds.
Thus far, very good progress to roll out this school programme has been made amongst the main partners involved. A Tri-Party Service Level Agreement between the WCDLG, WCED and Jobs Fund was signed. In addition Casidra signed a Service Level Agreement with the WCDLG. Implementation partners were briefed on their scope of work, as well as individual Memorandum of Understandings were discussed and draft copies were discussed.
According to Casidra’s CEO, Michael Brinkhuis, Casidra is excited to implement this wonderful programme. He said, “Firstly, we are grateful to be selected as the implementation agency of choice by the Western Cape Government. We are eager to use this opportunity to change the lives and fortunes of jobless youth”.
Brinkhuis conveyed a special vote of thanks to Casidra’s team for all the work they have put in securing this project. “You are a winning team and we are proud of you. We wish you every success during this implementation”, he concluded.