A: You should qualify for admission to the Senior Certificate.

These include:

• Adult learners who are 21 years and older who have:
  • a General Education and Training Certificate (GETC); or
  • a Grade 9 school report (or the old standard seven), stating that they have passed Grade 9 or Standard 7; or
  • a recognised equivalent qualification obtained at NQF Level which requires two official languages.
• Adult learners who are 21 years and older with an incomplete Senior Certificate qualification.
• Adult learners who are 21 years and older with an incomplete National Senior Certificate and whose School-Based Assessment (SBA) validity has expired.
• Only in exceptional cases, out of school youth, who are 18-21 years old and who could not complete their school education due to circumstances beyond their control, as verified by the Head of Department in the Provincial Education Department.
• Adult candidates who are 21 years and older with an incomplete NSC and whose School-Based Assessment component has not yet expired may choose to complete the NSC by registering in January for the 2020 NSC examinations to be written in November, or convert to the Senior Certificate. Should the candidate choose to convert to the Senior Certificate, they may not revert to the NSC and attempt to complete the NSC qualification.

For information on registration criteria, subject choices and promotion requirements visit the Senior Certificate page on http://www.education.gov.za/Curriculum/SeniorCertificate.aspx

You will probably benefit by getting help with your studies. Here are two options:
Where can I study?

I need a tutor

Please consider the fact that with a Grade 9 certificate you can continue your education at an TVET college and gain the equivalent of a Level 4 certificate. 

Which TVET courses can I take?

A: The results will be announced on the 7 January 2020.  You can get a statement of results from your school/centre where you wrote the exams. Partial results are available on this website
https://www.education.gov.za/

Rechecking and remarking

You may apply for the re-mark/re-check of your examination scripts. Registration can be done at either the school or district office in the province (all instructions appear on the reverse side of the Statement of Results).

• Closing date for applications: 22 January 2020 for both manual applications and for online applications.
• Fees for re-marking and re-checking per subject:
• Re-mark : R112.00
• Re-check : R27.00
• Viewing of scripts may only be done after a re-mark or re-check of results. The closing date for applications is 7 days after release of re-mark or re-check results. The fee for viewing is R219.00

Supplementary Examinations

• The supplementary examination is available during May/June where you can improve their results or complete outstanding results. The closing date for application is 31 January in the current year.
• Result queries should be submitted within 30 days after the release of results.
• Candidates must ensure that names and identity numbers reflect correctly on their statement of results and report any required corrections to the Department before 30/06/2020

Conditions for entry

• You can only register for subjects which you were registered for in the previous November examination.
• If you opt for the multiple examinations opportunity (MEO) option, you need to complete the outstanding subjects in the NSC June examination.
• If you were absent with a valid reason (medical unfit, death in the immediate family or other special reasons*) from one or more external question papers, you may register for the NSC June examination.
• If you want to improve your overall achievement status, or only want to improve the achievement of a subject, you may register for the NSC June examination. This includes the MEO candidates.
• In the case where you were absent for one or more papers in the November exam with a valid reason, you have the choice whether to write only the outstanding papers or all the papers.
• In a case where an irregularity is being investigated, provisional enrolment for NSC June examination may be granted, pending the outcome of the investigation.
• If you were unable to write or complete one or more of the NSC November examination question papers for reasons other than illness/injury or death in the family, you may apply to write the NSC June examination, provided that a written report is submitted by the principal of the school to the Head of the assessment body.

NB: Documentary proof substantiating reason for absenteeism must be submitted at the centre of registration to ensure entry to the June examination. The Statement of Results should also be presented for proof of the November examinations registration.

For TUTORS click here

For EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (outside of schools) click here.

1. What career you are interested in.
2. Whether you have Core Maths as a subject or Maths Literacy. (The only other subjects which matter are Physical Science and Art).
3. What your marks are, and particularly in Maths (and sometimes Physical Science) or Maths Literacy.

MATHS LITERACY:

You can choose from these qualifications (200 in all).

https://careerplanet.co.za/ncv-subject-choices-from-grade-9-with-or-without-maths-literacy/

CORE MATHS

Please see this article about Core Maths as part of your subject choice.

https://careerplanet.co.za/what-careers-can-i-study-for-with-core-mathematics-as-one-of-my-subjects/

The best advice is to go through and download the prospectus/student guide which most institutions offer.

Note: you must try to get the one for the year you intend to study.

A: It helps to be organized and prepared.

A timetable like the one above, is useful. You need to create your own timetable, to suit your own needs. You may want to start earlier or later, or have a nap in the afternoon and to push on later into the night, for example. Or you may want to maintain the schedule over the weekend. These are some things to keep in mind:

1. Get everything ready before the time: pens, pencils, books, papers and a drink so that you start studying on time.
2. Switch your phone off and put it in another room. You know why!
3. Begin with your least favourite subject. You are usually freshest in the morning so get that out of the way, before procrastination sets in.
4. Take short, summary notes while you are studying. Before the next study session of that subject, run your eye over the notes to get back into the topic.
5. Make sure to take a proper break. Walk away from where you have been revising. A quick walk is recommended to get your circulation going.
6. Eat properly. You need protein like eggs, cheese, meat, nuts.
7. When do you feel least productive? Use that time to tackle your favourite subject.
8. How many subjects a day? People say three topics a day but see how you go.
9. Reward yourself with small treats or time on your phone or a short chat with a friend.
10. Remember that this is just an example revision calendar. You know how best you work and a what times you are most productive.

A: We have listed organisations which offer tutors below but there are plenty more online.

Please use your common sense in selecting tutors.

• If you use someone from a tutoring service, find out how they screen tutors: character & personality, high school and university results, affinity for teaching, and past tutoring experience.
• If you are being tutored at home or at their home, ask an adult to stay or accompany you.
• Do not sign up for too many lessons unless you are sure they are right for you and your needs. Give the organization feedback.
• Try a different tutor if you are not happy.

Here is the list in no particular order. It does not imply recommendation.

TEACH ME 2

https://www.teachme2.co.za

FIRST TUTORS, SOUTH AFRICA

https://www.firsttutors.com/south-africa/how-to-find-a-tutor.php

• BRIGHT SPARKZ

https://brightsparkz.co.za

• PENGUIN TUTORING CO

https://penguintutoring.co.za

• MASTER MATHS

https://www.mastermaths.co.za

• MASTER SCIENCE

https://www.masterscience.co.za

• SMART CHOICE TUTOR

https://www.smartchoicetutor.com

• TUTORIFIC CAPE TOWN

https://www.tutorificcapetown.com

• HECTOLEARN – ONLINE

https://www.hectolearn.co.za

Know your weaknesses

A lot of school leavers find themselves in a catch-22 situation; they don’t have any experience because they have just left school, but can’t seem to get their foot in the door because they have no experience.

So you need to become your own sales person. Sit down and have a good think about what skills you’ve picked up and how they can be transferred to the workplace. That Saturday job you always moaned about can be transformed into a showcase of proven time management, responsibility, team work and initiative skills.

Your CV

If your CV is a little light on content, don’t worry about it, as a CV is really just a list of skills and experience that are applicable to the position. Your skills and experience so far have mainly come from education, so this is what you need to highlight.

List your qualifications and expand on what you learnt from the classes. If you had to deal with coursework, talk about how that taught you time management skills and how to use your initiative to carry out research etc.

Did you work in groups for any of your classes? If so, that shows team-work and if you led the team, mention how you became a team leader.

If you took part in after-school clubs, this shows that you have commitment and dedication. And there is no harm in mentioning hobbies either. Employers like well-rounded individuals and even though a hobby is for pleasure, it still shows that you have the drive to do something other than watch TV.

Although it’s important to show you have experience that is applicable to the workplace, don’t stretch things too far. No-one expects a school leaver to have an 8-page CV and if you waffle too much, you could do more harm than good.

The cover letter

For a lot of employers, the cover letter determines whether a CV gets looked at or not. You need it to summarise why you want the job as well as why you should get the job.

Be honest that you’re a school leaver, but explain why this is the career you want. Did you take any courses that are applicable? If so, mention this. Is there something special about the company which makes you want to work there? Put that in too.

Unless you have some previous work experience, highlight how this is the career you want to dedicate your life to and this is the company you want to start with. Employers obviously like people with experience, but you’d be surprised at how many also like the idea of giving someone with the right attitude their first shot.

The interview

If you get called in for an interview, prepare as you would for an exam. Do your research on the company, the job and also the market. Companies expect candidates to have looked into what they do, but not everyone bothers, so it’s a good way to stand out and impress potential employers.

Always dress smartly for an interview, you don’t want to lose points with the employer just because you couldn’t be bothered to iron your shirt.

Interviews can be scary, especially if you have no experience of them, so do some mock interviews with your friends first. Think of the kind of questions you’ll be asked and prepare for them. That will give you more confidence and help tackle nerves.

If you find yourself feeling really nervous during the interview, breathe calmly and don’t worry about taking a few moments before you answer a question. You can explain to the interviewer that you are nervous – they won’t bite!

Extra work

It’s important to keep yourself busy while looking for a job. Not only will this stop you going stir-crazy, but a lot of things will enhance your CV.

Use social media to start networking. Become involved in group discussions – it will give you confidence and also prove you have a handle on the market you want to work in. Find out about any job fairs or seminars near you, as they are also an excellent way to network.

Look at your Facebook and Twitter pages from the perspective of an employer. If there is anything that shows you in a bad light, either delete it or remove the account altogether.

Be proactive. Send off your CV to companies that interest you, there may only be the chance for some unpaid work to start with, but it could turn out to be a permanent position. It also shows drive, which employers love.

Finally, stay in a positive frame of mind. You will unfortunately get rejections, but keep at it and don’t give up, as the job market can be difficult. If you get job rejections, ask for clarity so you can learn if you went wrong somewhere and fix it for the next time.

Source: www.totaljobs.com

A: It does not matter how old you are or which stage of your life, these 4 steps are what you need to take.

STEPS TO PLANNING A CAREER

Choosing a career is not one decision – it is a lot of little decisions as you find you like some things and dislike others. It takes time to research and can be confusing and frustrating sometimes, but also exciting and fascinating. Most people enjoy the journey.

TIP: Make a project out of it, with a special notebook and folder for pamphlets. If you have regular access to a computer, create electronic folders and store information like documents and pdfs.

STEP ONE : Know Yourself

Finding out where YOU fit in the world of work starts with knowing everything about YOU. Later you can match that information with what you learn about the world of work. The questions you need to answer are below.

STEP TWO: Know the World of Work

Gathering information about career possibilities is very exciting. There are many sources of information and methods. Some tips follow below.

STEP THREE: Decide about your Options

Look through all the information you have collected and narrow down your choices.
The tips to help you make decisions follow on below.

STEP FOUR: Action

List the things that need to be done. These steps may include getting the education and financial aid you need.

Suggestions about the action you need to take, follow below

STEP ONE: KNOW YOURSELF

• What do you enjoy doing? Find 5 things. If you are 30 or 50 you may have changed from the time you first started on a work life.
• In what way are you different from other people? (Ask others – you may be surprised!)
• What are you good at? (Sometimes we do something with very little effort and we don’t appreciate our strengths. We don’t realise that other people are not as capable as we are in that area.)
• What are your personal achievements and successes? List at least 5, even if they seem small.
• What interests you? (At home or school or elsewhere? Hobbies, Extra mural)

Here is a list of questions you could ask yourself, but it is not a complete list – use your own life to discover some other questions and answers.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• What are the qualities that make you who you are? Are you caring, patient, impatient, hardworking, friendly, resourceful, pro-active, obedient, self-disciplined, shy, impulsive, adaptable, systematic, open to new ideas?
• Are you a leader or a follower or a good team worker? Are you a visionary or an implementer?
• What other qualities can you think of…………… 

INTERESTS

• What interests you? At school and outside of school?
• What do you enjoy doing?
• What other interests can you think of……………

SCHOOL SUBJECTS / TASKS & SKILLS AT WORK / HOBBIES

• Which are your favourites?
• Which are you best at?
• Which would you like to follow and develop further in the career of your choice?
• What do you enjoy finding out about?

INDEPENDENCE

• Do you like to work on your own?
• Like to make your own decisions?
• Take responsibility for yourself and for what you do?

WORKING WITH PEOPLE

• Do you get on with others?
• Can you handle negotiating?
• Do you tolerate different viewpoints?
• Like to organise people?
• Entertain people?

INFORMATION HANDLING SKILLS

Are you good at/ enjoy

• researching
• cataloguing
• interpreting
• classifying
• selecting
• organising

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Can you work with different computer programs?
• Are you keenly interested in learning more about computers or different computer programmes?

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Are you good at:

• expressing yourself
• listening
• writing
• interpreting
• criticising constructively
• debating
• negotiating
• explaining
• entertaining
• persuading

NUMBER SKILLS

Do you enjoy:

• counting & measuring
• estimating
• calculating

WORKING WITH IDEAS

How good are you at:

• thinking things out
• planning
• creating
• assessing
• analysing
• strategizing
• evaluating

WORKING WITH THINGS

Do you like:

• designing
• making
• planning
• controlling
• fixing

GOALS TO ACHIEVE THROUGH WORK

Which are important to you?

• job satisfaction
• money
• responsibility
• status
• secure employment
• your own business
• Doing good

SURROUNDINGS AND CONDITIONS

• Would you prefer to work for a large organization or a small one?
• Do you prefer to work outdoors or indoors
• in an office or in a plant or in a laboratory
• Any other? ……………

NEEDS

Do you need?

• security
• challenges
• recognition
• independence or do you need to feel part of a team?
• to feel you are ‘making a difference’?
• to feel ‘in charge’ of a team or project or activity?
• to focus on implementing ideas or projects?
• to start up new projects?
• to focus on seeing a particular job or activity through to its conclusion?

VALUES AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU

Do you want?

• to earn a lot of money
• have status
• work independently
• help others
• to constantly learn
• to enjoy my job

DREAMS

At a certain point dreams about your future are a good thing to explore. You will have a chance to be realistic later.

STEP TWO: Know the World of Work & Training

There are many more career options than most people realise. Here is a list of industries where you could work. It covers almost the whole of the work world.

https://careerplanet.co.za/careers-listings/careers/

The link above will take you there. If you click on one of the options you will see the careers that fall into that field.  If you click on the career title it will show you a job description with information about what it involves including how to get there. Choose a few industries to explore – the more the better!

• Agriculture, Fishing, Farming and Forestry
• Animal Sciences
• Artisans, Trades and Technicians
• Arts, Media and Entertainment
• Business, Admin, Finance and Sales
• Construction, Engineering and Mining
• Education and Training
• Earth, Environment and Conservation
• Fashion and Beauty
• Gardening, Horticulture and Botany
• Government and Law
• Green Careers
• Historical Sciences
• IT and Telecommunications
• Medical, Health & Life Sciences
• Production and Manufacturing
• Safety, Security and Emergency Services
• Science, Technology and Mathematics
• Social, Domestic and Community Services
• Sports, Sports Science and Recreation
• Tourism, Hospitality, Gaming and Lotteries
• Transport and Logistics
• Wholesale and Retail

Make a note: Everything you are attracted to and why. Everything you are not attracted to and why.

This is going to take quite some time, so use a computer and an internet connection. (Your local library should offer this facility if you don’t have one at home. Please feel free to contact us if you have problems getting the information you need.)

Looking at the careers you are interested in, you may want to think about whether you like working with Things, or Information/Ideas or People, mostly.

EXAMPLE: A Meteorologist or Bookkeeper deals mainly with Information, an Artist with Things and Ideas, whereas a Social Workers work with  people in a caring way and a Manager with People in a organising way. It is important to match your personality to a career.

TRAINING

At the same time collect training information, whether it is higher education or just adding some skills. Most educational institutions have brochures (prospectuses) about individual courses and the requirements for admission.

We strongly recommend downloading them from websites or going to fetch a printed copy. Because they give you so much more useful information, it is really worth the effort. You also need information about the cost of studying and possible bursaries and/or loans.

It is a good idea to visit the places where you are thinking of studying and speak to the people in the Career Office, if they have one.

STEP THREE: Decide about your Options

You should end up with

• 5 career options (at least). Rank them from 1-5, depending on which you are most attracted to.
• All the courses related to these options as well as the requirements for admission.

You may find yourself going over STEP ONE or TWO again, as the need to decide sharpens your mind.

Look through all the information you have collected and narrow down your choices. You may feel you need to do some more exploration.

NOTE: You do not need to choose only one career or one educational institution. In fact a good decision allows for a PLAN A and a PLAN B and a PLAN C, because life is uncertain.

STEP FOUR: Action

List the things that need to be done. This may include applying to educational and financial aid you need.

Do it until everything on the list is ticked off.

21^ST CENTURY CAREERS

The chances are that what you decide to do now, will not be what you are doing in seven years time. 21^st century workers can expect a change every seven years or so and so an expectation of changing jobs and even entire careers ie studying something quite different) is a realistic way to plan and an open mind is a good thing!

Here are a few steps to make the most out of your internship opportunity:

1) Set Personal Goals

Some internships are structured and have goals in place from the get-go, others don’t, so you will need to set some measurable goals for yourself. These goals can be anything, from what you want to learn while you’re there, to building your business network. Setting unreachable goals will make a good internship feel bad, so make sure your goals are realistic.

2) Make a lasting impression

This is not one action, but rather the sum of a whole bunch of small things. Dress up in appropriate, professional attire. Make sure to be punctual and have excellent attendance. Have respect for general work place decorum and meet your deadlines. Try to keep to whatever expectations your employer has for you.

3) Tackle all of your tasks with an enthusiastic and positive attitude

Due to the nature of an internship, you will most likely be given some grunt work to do. Don’t be shocked to be making coffee or photocopies. But you need to complete all of your work assignment s with the same level of enthusiasm and professionalism as everyone else there.

4) Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Keep in mind that an internship is a learning experience for you. Your employer will expect a certain level of work from, but you are not expected to know everything. Seek advice and ask questions whenever you encounter things that are unfamiliar to you.

5) Find a mentor

Find someone at a higher level in the organization who will look out for you and make sure you’re learning what you need to know and accomplishing what you need to do. A mentor can also shield you from office politics and be a good sounding board for you to bounce ideas off of. A mentor can also help to keep you focused on during your internship and help you learn as much as you can.

6) Enjoy yourself

Most internships are awesome experiences, so make sure you have some fun along the learning journey. Don’t be so uptight that you are seen as something you’re not. Just don’t overdo it, and steer clear of office romances!

There are 2 paths available for vocational training at TVET colleges.

1. Start in grade 10

• National  Certificate Vocational NC(V)  or
• NATED (N1-3): Engineering track

2. Start after matric:

• NATED: Post Matric Programmes (N4-6).

It is also possible to start the NATED N4 track with a grade 11 if you have a minimum pass of 50% in maths. Entry with matric is possible with maths or maths literacy.

National Certificate Vocational NC(V) 

NATED: Post Matric Programmes (N4-6)

National Certificate Programme Offering at False Bay College:

Source: False Bay College. Click here for more information and to apply

Higher Certificate (NQF level 5) 
To apply to study for a Higher Certificate (NQF level 5) you will need;

• 40-50% in either home language or first additional language. One of these languages should be the language used by the college or university e.g. you need English to attend the University of Johannesburg
• 30-40 % in either mathematics or math literacy – depending on your course you might need Math, not Math Literacy
• 40-50% in Life Orientation
• 50-60% in four other subjectsNational Diploma (NQF level 6)
  
  The minimum entry requirements to apply to study for a National Diploma (NQF level 6) are;
• 50-60% in 3 fundamental subjects
• 60-70% in 3 compulsory vocational subjectsBachelor’s Degree (NQF level 7) 
  To apply to study for a Bachelor’s degree (NQF level 7) you will need;
• 60-70% in 3 fundamental subjects
• 70-80% in 4 compulsory vocational subjects

What are the fundamental subjects? 
An official language usually a common Business Language such as English or Afrikaans
Life Orientation, Maths or Maths Literacy. You will need to take an additional 4 compulsory vocational subjects that relate to your field of study.
If you cannot enter the qualification you want to enrol for (e.g. a Bachelor Degree), you could enter a qualification on a lower level (e.g. a Diploma or Higher Certificate) and use it as a stepping stone to pursue the higher qualification afterwards.

The higher your marks, the greater your chances of being accepted into the tertiary institute of your choice and your chances of getting bursary or scholarship increases.