A LECTURER at Boland College’ Paarl campus, Chaleen October, has won the Business Studies Lecturer of the Year Award, at the fourth FET Colleges Achiever Awards Ceremony in Cape Town.
Recently certified as Pastel trainer, she is currently teaching computerised financial systems, a subject that was until recently outside her field of training.
The objectives of the awards is to recognise and reward excellence, commitment, dedication, hard work and achievement.
The National Minister of Education Naledi Pandor, addressed the ceremony and said that FET colleges were central to the delivery of priority skills needed to ensure access and participation in the country’s growing economy.
Apart from Lecturer of the Year, awards were given in the categories Manager of the Year, Support Staff of the Year, Social Responsibility Project of the Year, Innovative Project of the Year, Excellence in Leadership and Lifetime Achievement.
“This ceremony is held at a time when the expectations and pressure for the expanded delivery of vocational education in South Africa, in Africa and worldwide has never been higher,” Pandor said.
The high priority that Chaleen October places on education and her commitment to life long learning is evident when one notes her successful completion of various entrepreneurship, outcomes based education, Pastel and Payroll programmes.
“In 2006 I took a job in industry during my vacation so that I could stay abreast of the latest developments and also to understand the needs of industry in respect of the knowledge and skills they require from their employees,” October said.
Her positive attitude motivates and inspires her students to do their best. She encourages them to excel by giving them prizes if they do well in tests and examinations.
As a result her students achieved a 100% pass rate during the 2006 examinations with a 70% average.
