By: Sthabiso Mdledle

The Wholesale and Retail Sector Education and Training Authority (W&RSETA), KZN Retail Schools of Excellency held its graduation ceremony at the Durban University of
Technology ML Sultan campus on Wednesday.

According to the executive W&RSETA for Regional Officer, Ntombi Dludla, more than 300 students are graduated on the retail sector.

“These are the projects and programs that we have implemented on how to assist youth access skills within the retail and wholesale sector, so that is the core mandate of these
stakeholder meetings,” said Dludla.

She added that W&RSETA share their achievements and plans going forward in order to ensure that stakeholders train their employees, and those who are unemployed get skills.
Dludla said that the students graduated as part of their SOE, graduating at NQF2 level, and that 50% are employed and the other 50% is unemployed.

Graduates with their families filled the Cane Growers Hall to celebrate their graduation and they could not hide their excitement.

“I am so excited, I never thought that this day would come where I would wear this black gown and be called a graduate, I am so proud of myself,” said Simukelo Zulu, one of the
retail graduates from Checkout.

He said that for him, this is just a foot in and he needs to push harder in order to get both his feet inside the wholesale and retail sector.

According to the W&RSETA, this is their last graduation of the year, with the first one in Newcastle, and Vryheid earlier this year.