The alarming youth unemployment rate in South Africa is compelling development-driven organisations, such as the Tsitsikamma Wind Farm Trust (TWFT), to intentionally focus on youth skills development programmes.
A key challenge in the renewable energy industry is the reliance on importing critical skills from external sources, as the necessary expertise is frequently not available within the local communities surrounding project sites.
Renewable energy projects are often situated in remote, previously disadvantaged areas, where local communities grapple with socio-economic challenges.
These challenges include limited access to education, resulting in low literacy rates and a scarcity of critical skills, further exacerbating the difficulties faced by these communities.
TWFT’s bursary funding programme is an initiative that allows them to make a change in the lives of young people staying within their local communities.
The programme continues to yield positive results, proudly producing yet another skilled young professional from the rural area of Tsitsikamma.
Simanyene Blouw (23), from Wittekleibosch Farm in Tsitsikamma, is one of the TWFT bursary programme beneficiaries who recently completed his studies in Mechanical Engineering.
Blouw’s passion for pursuing a technical career was nearly derailed due to the lack of nearby schools offering technical courses, a limitation imposed by his rural village location.
In his pursuit to enrol in a school that would offer technical subjects, he moved to Dimbaza, a township 20km away from Qonce (formally King Williams Town), to reside with his uncle.
After passing matric, Blouw applied to study at East Cape Midlands College in Kariega, where he struggled to pay for his studies.
In the same year, he applied for the TWFT bursary and was accepted.
The bursary funding included the full tuition fees, accommodation, monthly stipend, laptop, and a dedicated mentor to assist with his overall well-being.
In 2023, Cennergi (Pty) Ltd, the majority shareholder (75 percent) of TCWF, facilitated Blouw’s participation in an internship programme hosted by Astrum Energy, the facility management company responsible for TCWF.
Blouw said he is deeply grateful that he was awarded the bursary.
“It was a true blessing that did not only ease my financial burden, but also empowered me to focus on my education and future goals wholeheartedly,” said Blouw.
Building on the success of his one-year internship in 2023, he was appointed as a full-time employee at Astrum Energy in 2024 and assigned to the TCWF project site.
Blouw made history in his village of AmaMfengu by becoming the first young person to earn a qualification in mechanical engineering and qualify as a wind turbine technician.
He said that securing a job in the wind turbine industry is a dream come true.
“I am filled with gratitude for this incredible opportunity,” said Blouw.
“It is not just a job, but also a chance to contribute to sustainable energy and make a positive impact in my community. I also want to inspire the youth in my community to consider joining the wind turbine industry.”
