There’s no denying that COVID-19 has rocked the economy. Companies that were around since before we were born have closed, the national airline has been grounded, and the transport industry was literally brought to a standstill when workers were told to stay at home. The global economy has slowed, reducing exports, forcing prices lower and drying up demand. Sales in many industries are lower as people try to save more and spend less.

Sounds like plenty of reasons for pessimism, right?

But, it’s also a good time to remember that the pandemic is temporary. As it passes and the economy revives, industry will have more need of skilled workers and qualified professionals than ever before.

Whether you’re currently without a job, or in a job that doesn’t satisfy your interests or provide all your needs, take the opportunity now to get ready for the post-pandemic economy. Because if you put off your study plans and wait for the economy to return to ‘normal’, you’ll be too late to take advantage of it.

On the other hand, by choosing to study at False Bay TVET College now, you can invest in yourself and improve your employment prospects. Not only are there bursaries or company assistance for qualifying students and a wide range of qualifications but, with part-time or distance learning qualification options available, you can stay safely indoors at home while you complete your National N Diploma or an Occupational Programme with us.

And when you get that qualification, whether you’re looking for new employment or hoping to advance in your current job, your prospects of success are greater with an improved CV. Much greater.

Studying and improving your education now will even benefit you personally before completion. Research studies show that simply making progress towards a goal and investing in personal development can cause people to feel happier, more satisfied and more positive about their future.

You can choose to spend the remainder of this crisis period sleeping late, wasting time with social media or frustrating yourself with the lack of stimulation and social interaction. Or, you could take on the challenge of studying, stimulate your mind and start each day with a new, positive purpose.

Will 2021 be your year of Pandemic Pessimism or Academic Optimism? The choice is yours. Make the smart one.

Applications are open right now for Semester 2 at False Bay TVET College. Click here for more information on part time courses.

Students undergo MOT Sessions where valuable life skills are shared with the students.  The Vision of MOT is to create a warmer and safer society.  False Bay College has run the MOT programme across all campuses to give students the extra skills to manage themselves and their interactions with other.  The values of the MOT programme are Courage to LIVE, Courage to CARE and Courage to say NO.

The underlying principles in the MOT Programme are to teach students how to work proactively, reinforce the positive and see the whole person as being a valuable member of a campus.

The MOT Programme at False Bay College has been a powerful motivator of young people and the college has seen improvement in many areas of student life that can be attributed to the delivery of the MOT Programme.

Recently the 10^th AGM of MOT South Africa took place in Cape Town.  At this event, there was reflection on the past 10 years and the role that MOT has played in the lives of young people.

Dr Patricia Jacobs, IPSS UWC was the guest speaker.  She has recently completed research around the motivation levels of students in TVET Colleges.  She has looked at the levels of motivation when students have been exposed to the MOT Programme.  The findings have been very positive, with students displaying high levels of motivation.  This bodes well for the sector and the MOT Programme.

Part of the 10^th AGM were the awards in four specific categories:

1. MOT TVET College Campus of the Year: Awarded to Northlink TVET College
2. MOT School of the Year: Awarded to Simons Town High School
3. MOT Coach of the Year: Awarded to Ms Nobuntu Luthuli from False Bay College, Khayelitsha Campus
4. Are Hovstad Award 2019 presented by Wenche Hovstad was awarded to Ms Christine Thomas, from False Bay College, Fish Hoek Campus.

Christine portrays the MOT core values in her daily life and interaction with others.  She is the MOT Coordinator at the Fish Hoek Campus of False Bay College.  Christine has spearheaded many MOT programmes and initiatves to ensure the holistic development of students.

MOT South Africa recently trained a new cohort of 27 MOT Coaches from False Bay College, College of Cape Town, Mbekewni Youth Centre and San Souci High School.  These coaches are commended for taking the step to become a MOT Coach as it requires you to give so much of yourself in the holistic development of young people as well as being a role model, creating a safe and warm environment within which these students will thrive.

By Melanie Vermaak (Acting Deputy Principal Academics at False Bay TVET College)

Furthermore, it is important that we are able to express and experience our personal values through our work.

But there is more.

A somewhat more inclusive view of life suggests that we each have come into this world to make our own contribution. In that context, you could say that the work you choose in your life should be more than just a job. If you look to the origin of the word VOCATION,  you’ll see it is derived from the Latin ‘Vocatus’, meaning ‘to call’ or ‘being called’.

A mere job would keep you busy and surviving; and yes, we all need to tick those boxes. Your calling, however, determines that you express yourself in a way that reflects who you are. It is an inner conviction that says: ‘Yes, I want this to be my contribution.’

Sometimes that inner conviction is a shout, loud and clear; sometimes, it needs to be awakened.  To help you do that, maybe just begin by asking yourself:

• If I had no fear, what would I do?
• What kind of work would make me get up every morning and look into the day with excitement and motivation?
• What am I good at?
• If I were to picture my perfect working day, what would it look like?
• One day, when I look back over say, ten of fifteen working years, what would I like to see?
• What is it I want to do to feel that I am really contributing to the world?

You may find that these questions are quickly accompanied by fears such as:  ‘I don’t have the training’, ‘I’m too young’, ‘I can’t take any chances in this economy’,  or any other belief that would hold you back from what you would really love doing. But those fears are not there to hold you back; they are there to test your commitment.

If you find yourself facing uncertainties and inner doubts regarding your course ahead, but you do know that you wish to imbue your life with quality and inner fulfilment, consider the comprehensive online New Insights Coaching Programme. Through it you will find clarity, inner confidence and strength.

Just drop a line at one of the addresses below and ask for the free Online Coaching Brochure.

info@heartandsoul.co.za    heartandsoul.arjan@gmail.com

But there is more.

If you look to the origin of the word VOCATION,  you’ll see it is derived from the Latin ‘Vocatus’, meaning ‘to call’ or ‘being called’.

A mere job would keep you busy and surviving; and yes, we all need to tick those boxes. Your calling, however, determines that you express yourself in a way that reflects who you are. It is an inner conviction that says: ‘Yes, I want this to be my contribution.’

Sometimes that inner conviction is a shout, loud and clear; sometimes, it needs to be awakened.  To help you do that, maybe just begin by asking yourself:

• If I had no fear, what would I do?
• What kind of work would make me get up every morning and look into the day with excitement and motivation?
• What am I good at?
• If I were to picture my perfect working day, what would it look like?
• One day, when I look back over say, ten or fifteen working years, what would I like to see?
• What is it I want to do to feel that I am really contributing to the world?

You may find that these questions are quickly accompanied by fears such as:  ‘I don’t have the training’ or ‘I’m too young’ or ‘I can’t take any chances in this economy’,  or any other belief that would hold you back from what you would really love doing.

But those fears are not there to hold you back; they are there to test your commitment.

If you find yourself facing uncertainties and inner doubts regarding your course ahead, but you do know that you wish to imbue your life with quality and inner fulfilment, consider the comprehensive online New Insights Coaching Programme. Through it you will find clarity, inner confidence and strength.

Just drop a line at one of the addresses below and ask for the free Online Coaching Brochure.

info@heartandsoul.co.za    heartandsoul.arjan@gmail.com

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing change at a speed, scale and force unlike anything we have seen before. All these changes are going to affect every industry – and engineering is no exception.

Old business models are going to become obsolete. Businesses resisting change will cease to exist. New business models in each and every industry are going to be transformed as part of the whole digital transformation.

And it’s changes like these that will see a rise in demand for soft skills, also called interpersonal skills, that many engineers perhaps don’t have today.

A good dynamic set of both technical and soft skills may be what is going to make a difference when employers consider candidates for joining their team. Yet, these skills are often neglected by professionals in the engineering field, since these professionals quite often focus on the hard skills alone.

Here, we have a look at some of the most common soft skills that are useful for today’s engineers.

Adaptability  

An engineer with good adaptability skills is able to identify solutions to unforeseen problems. Then, the engineer can make the necessary modifications to adapt to the new situation or new environment.

This also happens at a fast pace, since often the success of a project depends on assessing the problem fast and finding a flexible and thoughtful solution to it.

Collaboration

Engineers usually work with fellow engineers and also with other people from other departments. This implies working and interacting with a variety of different people, different personalities, and different levels within a chain of command.

In such cases, the ability to apply skills like verbal communication and body language as well as demonstrating a solid character and personality are crucial.

Communication

Communication skills are pretty much linked to being successful in team environments. Yet, many engineers underestimate the importance of brushing up their communication skills since they believe their technical skills are the only ones that matter in their profession.

Being an adequate speaker, writer and listener is important in the engineering field, where clarity and understanding are required for completing teamwork projects. Public speaking and making presentations are also often in the engineer’s agenda, particularly when companies participate in trade shows and conferences.

Attention to detail 

Engineers often work with complex projects. Having an eye for spotting a small detail that, if unnoticed, can cause the failure of the project in the future is a valuable soft skills an engineer should develop.

Creative thinking 

Here is where thinking-outside-the-box becomes essential. Creative thinking is a skill required by many jobs across different industries. It becomes particularly important in engineering.

Finding ways to apply existing knowledge in a new and creative way can take you further in your engineering career. Problem-solving is a key requirement of a successful engineer. Possessing or developing creative thinking is as valuable as the technical skills you use to identify and troubleshoot the source of a problem.

Creative thinking is a soft skill that more engineers and others in the STEM field should cultivate to become truly valuable as both a team member and as a leader.

Leadership 

As you advance in your career and your technical abilities improve with time, your expertise is going to be required in order to manage projects.

Your new position as a project manager will require you to manage and motivate other engineers as well.

Delegating tasks, managing teams of people, and coordinating complex projects are going to be on your everyday list. To become a top leader, therefore, implies that you need to master as many soft skills as leadership requires.

What kind of soft skills do you think you need to cultivate and advance your career?

Source: Edited from original article https://interestingengineering.com/engineers-should-master-soft-skills-for-a-successful-career

Play a Musical Instrument

When you play a musical instrument, certain parts of your brain are stimulated as you memorize the notes, use your hands, and feel the music.

As you do these simultaneously, you are also developing your motor skills, analytical skills, memory, and creativity. According to scientists, these activities improve how your brain functions regardless of how old you are.

Read Anything

The benefits of reading are the same no matter what genre you’re reading. Reading increases the three types of intelligence: crystallized, fluid, and emotional. Crystallized intelligence improves your problem solving. Fluid intelligence is responsible for putting together the different pieces of knowledge you accumulate every day.

Emotional intelligence helps you accurately interpret events so that you can accurately respond to other people’s feelings.

Be Creative

Painting boosts memory recollection skills and works to sharpen the mind through conceptual visualisation and implementation. People who frequently use creative outlets such as writing, painting, and drawing have less chance of developing memory loss illnesses when they get older

Exercise Regularly

When you exercise regularly, you help your body produce BDNF genes that are responsible for creating a type of protein in the brain and the spinal cord. These genes play a vital role in the growth and maintenance of your cells. If your body is healthy at the cellular level, your productivity and efficiency improves.

Learn a New Language

If you want to improve your analytical and puzzle solving skills, study a new language. Research has shown that people who are bilingual are better at solving puzzles than people who are monolingual. If you can learn a new language successfully, your brain also gets better at performing any mentally demanding tasks, such as planning and problem-solving.

Exercise Your Brain

When you solve crossword puzzles, brain teasers, or Sudoku, the neuroplasticity of your brain improves. Neuroplasticity is the ability of our brain to reorganize its neural pathways and synaptic connections. As we become aware of these new patterns, our cognitive abilities also improve. Aside from improving our cognitive skills, increased neuroplasticity makes us less prone to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Meditate

A study by Richard Dawkins in 1992, using monks as subjects, has suggested that we can control our brainwaves and command them according to how we want to function. This is why it has become trendy lately for successful people to meditate.

We can become more confident and powerful during business deals and negotiations, allowing us to be more convincing to our listeners and audience.

Cook Different Meals

When you plan your meals and cook different kinds of food, you are unleashing your creativity. It also improves your focus as you pay more attention to details while you’re cooking. Moreover, it makes you even more mindful of what you feed yourself.

Start today

Hobbies are not there just to kill your boredom. They make you smarter because they stimulate your brain. So start a new hobby now and increase your brain power.

Source: www.influencive.com

Without going into long and complicated recipes or shopping lists, Career Planet has prepared a short list of the most potent brain foods you can pop out and buy right now without breaking the bank.

Oily fish

Sardines on toast. Yes, we love it too. Simple, cheap and yummy. And so good for you. Of course, other oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, trout and tuna are all excellent sources of protein and omega 3, essential for keeping your brain healthy and wise. But sardines on toast still tops our shopping list, especially for students. Make sure you choose whole-wheat bread for your complex carbs, vitamins and proteins.

Eggs

Again. So easy, so affordable, so accessible. And so tasty an good for your brain (and other bits). Eggs are more likely to leave you feeling full for longer than sugary cereals or pastries. Eggs are rich in protein, vitamin B2 and B12, as well as trace minerals and anti-oxidants.

Dark leafy greens

Maybe not your favourite foods when you were a kid, but now you know better, right?

Spinach and broccoli. Kale and chard. These superfoods are packed with vitamin K, building pathways in your brain. They also full of antioxidants, vitamins B2, B6, C and E, calcium and potassium. They are associated with improvements in alertness and memory.

Peanut butter

What better way to get a supercharge of brain-power than everyone’s favourite spread? Or, just eat it out of the jar, for goodness sake! Or mix it in with your oats in the morning to keep you going for a long time. Peanut butter contains healthy fats and proteins

which work as well for your brain as they do for your taste buds.

Fresh fruit

Everybody knows that a sugar hit gives you energy. But don’t rush for the sweetened fizzy drinks or chocolate bars when you can do it the natural way. Any fruit is packed with natural sugars, but blueberries and avo’s (yes, avo’s are fruits!) are thought to be the best brainfoods. But a banana, apple or orange or two every day will keep your mind clear and your body healthy.

Have you ever heard of Tall Poppy Syndrome? It’s a term used to describe the strange situation that occurs when a person deserving of praise is instead criticized, put down, attacked, etc. by haters or negatrons, as I like to call them. This usually happens when a person decides to create new habits, or simply achieves more than before. In other words, they stand out from the crowd—or figuratively—grow too tall in a field of equal-sized poppy’s.

If you ever choose to do something grandiose that others around you are too afraid to do themselves, get ready for the haters. Sadly, this experience can also occur with something as simple as waking up earlier, not drinking alcohol as often, or starting an online business. In my experience since venturing off into the world of solopreneurship and creating a Freedom Lifestyle, I’ve experienced my fair share of negative comments, criticism, and even subliminal jealousy.

While a good percentage of your friends and network will be supportive of your desire to grow, others will automatically make snarky comments, and will be the first to bring down your latest successes and accomplishments. It’s simply a natural, gut-level reaction for a person who lives in a state of envy—a bonafide hater. And while they may not entirely intend to sound or behave this way, it can and will affect you. 

You may also notice that the people you assumed would be the most supportive and want to celebrate alongside you are actually the most hesitant. What an interesting phenomenon!

On the other hand, a lot of new faces may appear to tell you how proud, inspired, or excited they are for you. When I committed to becoming a solopreneur after realizing there were more than enough solid reasons to make the leap, I was grateful to receive so many positive comments from friends, and even friends of friends.

Yet why is it so common that your best friends, colleagues—perhaps even your own family—are the most apathetic about your success and newly chosen path? Well, it looks like you’ve grown too tall, friendo. You’re no longer part of the same peer group. You’re no longer there to commiserate and sympathize with the old daily struggles.

Here’s the cold, hard truth: This isn’t going to change. Be prepared. The more you grow, the more haters you will attract and the more negative, snarky comments you will receive.

Surround yourself with more positive people (ideally through a mastermind) and set higher standards every single day. The key to success is having a peer group that challenges you, motivates you, and is there to celebrate and congratulate you throughout the journey.

Remember this truth:

You are the average of the five people you associate with the most. Are the five people you’re currently spending the most time with aligned with your vision for success?

Have you seen The Pursuit of Happyness with Will Smith before? The underlying principle of this film can be summed up in this quote by Will Smith’s character:

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something…You got a dream? You gotta protect it. If people can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

This is a beautiful scene for many reasons, but ultimately, Will Smith’s character is warning his son to never listen to any haters. Even he, as a loving and supportive father, could be at risk of discouraging someone he loves from his own dreams.

Protect your dreams. Onward and upward.

What is stress?

If you are alive, you experience stress. Stress is the natural reaction to something in our environment or in our selves.  It helps us to cope.  A certain level of stress is good.  Too much can kill you.

When you become aware of danger, you either avoid it (which is not always possible) or find a way to cope with it. The primitive part of the brain functions FAST: You have a flight, fight or freeze reaction sometimes even before you become fully awake to the situation.

Threats come in many forms:

• Physical safety – walking down a dark road at night, violence when you have to get to work during a bus strike, floods and mudslides, crime, drugs and intimidation by gangs, domestic abuse, service delivery protests, childbirth, drunken drivers, xenophobic attacks, extreme weather conditions such as drought or snow, difficult  work conditions and long  work hours.
• Intellectual challenges – a new job, fear of change, writing exams, rapid developments in technology, education gaps or inadequate training in your job, lack of time to study.
• Emotional strength – lack of sleep because of a sick child, noisy neighbours and worry reduce emotional stability. People that suffered cruelty or neglect as children are insecure in new situations. Modern life puts pressure on us to be independent and achieve material success, so we do not ask for help when we need it or are ashamed of poverty. The death of a loved one, illness in the family, a handicapped household member, old age, divorce and losing your job – all affect your state of mind.
• Financial problems – debts, inability to pay school fees, transport, groceries, home repairs, suitable clothing. Big changes – like a new baby, a car crash, health problems, bond and rates payments on acquiring a house, funeral expenses, having a computer, cell phone or car stolen, losing a train ticket that has been paid in advance – all add up to stress.

What happens in your body?

You release chemicals, like adrenaline, that help you cope with the immediate “danger”:

• Your heart rate increases
• You breathe faster
• Your blood pressure goes up

This, in turn, moves more oxygen-rich blood to your brain and muscles:

• You think quickly (to defeat the danger)
• Your muscles are stronger (to perfom better)
• You have lots of energy (more glucose and fatty acids in the blood )

BUT

Everything else in your body shuts down. During an emergency, the brain releases other chemicals to stop unnecessary functions. And this is where the long-term damage of stress happens. Cortisol keeps blood pressure and blood sugar high if the danger does not last. This is fine, but what if the stress continues?

The hormone that brings down cortisol levels after a stressful time does not function if the threat is on-going.  Some people see threat everywhere. Others cram their lives full of challenges.
For example, the so-called adrenaline junkies that do extreme sports or enthusiastically climb the corporate ladder.  Some people choose to reduce certain normal functions (like reproductive health or cell growth.  For example, some gymnasts, dancers, and jockeys do not want to gain weight or do not mind if they stop menstruating).

However, for most people it is not a matter of choice.  Living circumstances are life-threatening (people that live in a war zone like Syria for years) or hard (the problems of clean water and child safety that a mother in a squatter camp solves daily) so that we are often on high alert.

Long-term damage

Constant heightened flight/fight/freeze eventually creates a lifetime of stress.

This has serious consequences:

• Increased fatty acids in the blood can cause a heart-attack (This is known as the disease of people in high-powered job, especially when combined with lack of exercise and an unhealthy diet. However, ordinary people that suffer from on-going stress are also at risk.)
• The immune system is compromised. The body cannot defend itself against germs. This means you get sick. (Research shows that refugees, prisoners, groups after natural disasters like earthquakes and tidal waves, are likely to get diseases. Diseases are often blamed on lack of hygiene, but are equally caused by stress.)
• Brain functioning is damaged. The hippocampus (this is easy to remember – just picture a campus where hippos are playing) is the part of the brain where memories are stored. It also makes the hormone that stops cortisol. Too much cortisol damages this part of the brain and makes it less able to produce the hormone that reduces cortisol. Memory loss is the result!

An evil cycle in the hippocampus:

The good news

You CAN protect yourself against stress

• Do not take on tasks that are not essential to your job or private life.
• Think carefully about what really matters to you? Maybe you are trying to please people whose opinion you do not really value, or competing for a job you do not really want. Maybe you think it is important to buy a new car, not because you need it but because you want to impress somebody. Do you need the horror of debt?
• Do things that bring you joy. Crafts and handwork, recreational sport, art, gardening etc are therapeutic and reduces the feeling of being overburdened.
• Get enough sleep in a well-ventilated place. Do not sleep with earplugs while listening to music. Your body and your mind need “time-out.” Do not watch unpleasant movies until just before bedtime. It invades your subconscious and the flight-fight attitude continues.
• Brain cells can be grown. YES! It is true. By learning something new regularly, your brain forms cells that store the new information. You do not have to accept that forgetfulness is permanent.