Grade 11 Learners Experience Wind and Solar Energy

Globeleq South Africa participated once again in the Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day® campaign by hosting fourteen Grade 11 girls from Claremont High School. As operators of three independent renewable power projects, it was our aim to expose these learners to the opportunities offered by the new and burgeoning renewable energy industry. “We partnered with Dassiesklip Wind Farm, who recently completed construction of a 27MW wind farm near Caledon, as well as Dassiesfontein Farm Stalls Solar PV facilities, as our power facilities are based outside of the Western Cape,” explained Mark Pickering, Managing Director of Globeleq South Africa.

The day exposed learners to the new and exponentially growing field of renewable energy and the career opportunities that exist in the field. This included a tour of Dassiesklip Wind Farm and Dassiesfontein Farm Stall PV facilities. Two of Globeleq’s interns, Sulana de Jager and Thabiso Mbane, who are based in the Remote Monitoring Centre in Cape Town, had the opportunity to share their knowledge and explain the mechanics of the solar PV at the farm stall. One of the highlights was no doubt the opportunity for the girls to enter a wind turbine, tacitly exposing them to the world of wind energy.

“I most enjoyed seeing the wind turbine in action, from the inside. It was very interesting to see the processes of a big part of the renewable energy sector,” commented Yusrah Davids, Grade 11 Learner, Claremont High School.

“Going on this trip really made me want to go into this field because it’s really interesting and is something I would enjoy doing as a career,” added Celeste Fisher, Grade 11 Learner, Claremont High School.

“The trip has taught me the importance of more sustainable energy sources that do not exhaust our earth’s resources,” said Zahrah Rahbeeni, Grade 11 Learner, Claremont High School.

“Claremont High School’s dedicated focus on maths and science is an ideal fit for our industry, as these learners could potentially choose a career in the power sector one day,” said Mark Pickering, Managing Director of Globeleq South Africa.

Cell C Take a Girl Child to Work Day® is targeted at Grade 10 to 12 South African girl learners, giving them the opportunity to visit a place of work and to experience various career opportunities, first-hand.