THINKING AHEAD!

Ntokozo Mlotshwa had the choice between a job and the Motheo Academy learnership. He chose the learnership and he does not regret it!

25-year-old Ntokozo Mlotshwa is no stranger to having a qualification but no work opportunities. Like many other young South Africans, Ntokozo was eager to start his life and a career but it was proving to be harder than he had hoped. “I have a diploma in Civil Engineering and that is what led to my interest in construction,” he explains. Applying for the learnership was a no-brainer for Ntokozo. “I knew that adding to my qualifications could not be a bad thing and I loved that there was a practical element to the learnership.” As life would have it, when Ntokozo found out that he had been accepted into the Motheo Academy at Fraser House, he was offered a job elsewhere at the same time. “I would have been very eager to take the job but because I was now excited about acquiring new skills and developing myself, I felt like taking it would be short sighted.” Ntokozo let that opportunity go and got on with the business of learning. Even though he had moments when he found it challenging, Ntokozo promised himself that he would do his best during the learnership. “I committed to being regular in my attendance and my performance. This helped me stand out in the crowd and I believe that is one of the reasons that I was chosen to work on the Premier’s Office site after the learnership was finished. It was an honour to be asked,” he beams. Ntokozo loves being on site and he hopes to work on many more projects with Motheo. “I feel like I have many more options in my career than I did when I first started the learnership. I hope other young people who get the opportunity to attend a Motheo Academy learnership take it up. Even though construction is seen as a hard way to make a living, the reality is that it is a good way to make a living and I am proud to be in construction.”