Professional services organisation PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) embarked on Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) in October last year. The training facilitator, Jarius Rabaji, is overseeing the training of 56 learners at PwC`s office in Sunninghill, using a programme developed by adult education expert Media Works.
The training centre is well equipped with seven state-of-the-art workstations and the schedule on the wall gives an indication of just how busy the training centre is, with almost every hour of every day accounted for. The PwC learners are all doing Communication, ranging from Levels 1 to 3, with eight learners at Level 3.
The PwC ABET group represents a diverse cross-section of staff, from filing clerks and messengers to receptionists and tea ladies. However, they all have one thing in common - a desire to learn and improve their lot in life. Sixteen of these learners have asked to write the IEB exam at the end of February.
Rabaji cites one of the biggest challenges that he faces at PwC is competing with work pressures. He says, "The attendance figures aren`t as good as they should be because people here work very hard and they sometimes have to miss their ABET session in order to meet work commitments."
However, he is quick to point out that PwC management is very supportive of ABET and encourages employees to attend their sessions. All supervisors have copies of the learners` timetables so that they know when their staff need to be released from their duties.
PwC is using a computer-assisted literacy programme developed by literacy expert Media Works. After being taught how to use a mouse, the students engage in an interactive, multimedia programme with reinforcement from workbook exercises and a facilitator. Training takes place at the company`s premises and is worked out to the company`s convenience in such a way that lost man-hours are kept to a minimum.
The Media Works programme is designed to cope during training with all levels and at the pace of the learner. At any given time in the classroom there is a cross-range of students at different phases of the programme. It accommodates both slow and fast learners, and all learners are able to learn at a rate they are comfortable with.
In the five months that have elapsed since the introduction of the Media Works ABET programme at PwC, some of the learners have really excelled. Rabaji adds: "The response has been good, especially from the learners on Levels 2 and 3. They have seen their spoken, written and read English language improve, which has given them more confidence both at work and at home. There are learners who spend every free moment here in the training centre." He adds: "The learners relate well to the examples given in the Media Works programme and I make use of newspapers such as Homeless Talk to reinforce the material."
Media Works` software is locally developed and all lessons are therefore culturally correct. Courseware can be bought as is, in the knowledge that African examples and culture will aid learning - as opposed to programming that comes from overseas.
"The success of this programme clearly demonstrates the firm`s commitment to all of its people and the eagerness of staff to improve themselves," concludes the assistant HR manager, Zayd Shaikh.
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