MIKE MAVOVANA has been appointed De-puty Chief Executive Officer after acting in the post for the last six months. He was born in Stellenbosch, matriculated in the Eastern Cape and is married to a teacher. He started teaching at Nyanga Secondary and went to Kayamandi High School as a deputy principal. In 2001 he was appointed Principal of Hector FET School. Under his leadership the school transformed from a dysfunctional to a top performing school. In 2007 Mr Mavovana was rewarded for this when he was announced the provincial winner and awarded a Silver achievement in the category Excellence in Leadership by the National Department of Education. He has travelled extensively exploring different education systems in UK, Sweden, Denmark and USA and has vast experience in facilitating school strategic and curriculum planning; organising and facilitating matric camps, and developing school curriculum programs according to the needs of the community and job market.

RAZIA HAMZA, married and mother to a six-year-old girl, is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer: Innovation and Development. She cut her teeth at the College of Cape Town as a Student Liaison Officer and as events coordinator organizing matric balls and SRC functions. She has been involved in the FET sector for ten years, and has extensive experience in Learnerships and Skills Programmes. As Academic Manager for the last two years she was managing Student Support and prior to this manager for Linkages and Partnerships. Her formal qualifications include an M-Tech in Commerce Education at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (2005). Prior to joining the FET sector she held various positions including Development Facilitator, Assessor and Moderator in Wholesale and Retail Unit Standards and INTEC College Tutor, examiner and author in Accounting, Computer Practice and typing. As a registered assessor and moderator with various SETAs, Ms Hamza has vast experience in LPU. She describes her strengths as “perseverance, loyalty, dedication and enthusiasm.” Her weaknesses? “Too goal orientated, I’m working at striking a balance in my life…,” she said.

THEMBINKOSI MATYEKA , Welding Centre Manager is a former winner of the Fabritech WorldSkills competition held in Helsinki, Finland, which is a biennial event where participants from around the world compete in 40 different skills categories, ranging from mechatronics, welding and plumbing to jewellery, floristry and cooking. Matyeka won the category Young Welder of the World, where he has been identified proficient enough in three different materials and five welding processes and competed against the best in the world.

HESTIA ORCHARD, a mother of one boy and seven months pregnant with a second boy, has been appointed as ECD Leanerships Programme Manager. She describes herself as ‘happily married’ and recently moved to Malmesbury. She was previously employed at Boland College as the ECD Level 5 lecturer, working at the Paarl campus. She is completing her Honors Degree in Educational Management through Unisa and has just written her first examination. “I’ve only been with West Coast College for three weeks, but felt right at home from the start. The people are very warm and friendly and accepted me from the start,” said Ms Orchards.

ROBERTHA MATTHEWS has been appointed LPU Administrator. A married mother of one child, she has worked for a private FET College for three and a half years as Senior Client Liaison Officer and Office Manager on the Merseta Voucher Implementation Project dealing with Merseta SMME companies. She was an Administrator for a Chartered Accountancy firm and Data Capturer at Atlantis Foundries. Ms Matthews is a professional baker and caterer, Sunday school teacher and has recently passed her South African Drum Majorettes Level 1 Trainer's exam. “I love working with people and especially children of all ages in the education and training field.”

CHARLES KALOMBO has been appointed IT Coordinator and Senior IT Technician. He matriculated in 1998 and obtained his International Diploma in 2003 at the Boston City campus. Charles successfully completed his National Diploma in Computer Science with the Pretoria Technikon, and in 2009 obtained his Microsoft Certificate for Engineering and System Administrator (MCSE/MCSA). He started his career as a computer technician for Light Edge Technology and in 2006 joined Nedbank (NEDCOR) as Consultant for Credit card Point of Sale. In 2009 he joined the DLK group as technical consultant. As part of his calling to the ministry of God, he graduated in Bible Studies at ACA Leadership College, Cape Town. Charles says he is a married father of two ‘beautiful girls’. “I Love God, my wife, my kids and networking with people. My hobbies are music and computer programming.”

BALLY NSHOMBO has been appointed Senior IT Technician. He started his IT career eight years ago as a junior PC Technician. “In my experience hard work we do always pay but it means lots of courage, commitment and determination,” says Bally. He enjoys solving problems to see a smile restored on people’s faces. “If you have dreams you either keep sleeping or wake up to chase them.”

ELZAINE FARO is the IT Technician. He completed his high school studies in Atlantis and obtained his IT Diploma at Tshwane University of Technology. He studied Electrical Engineering at Northlink College and worked for a cellphone company. Elzaine describes himself as friendly and easy going. “I live by a saying that he who kneels before God can stand before anything…”