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The journey of a De Aar local from an eager student to a proficient intern at De Aar Solar Power exemplifies the goal of a programme to cultivate talent directly from the local community.
This renewable energy skills development programme is making significant strides through its focused internship programme, and highlighting this success, Riekie Douw joined the De Aar Solar Power’s operating team almost eight months ago as an electrical engineering intern.
Douw’s passion for electrical engineering led him to relocate to De Aar in 2012 to attend the Veritas High School due to its offering of technical subjects. Following this, he pursued and completed his National Certificate (N4) in Electrical Engineering at the Northern Cape TVET Urban College in Kimberley by 2018.
“Since launching in 2016, our internship programme has annually welcomed a technical intern,” explained Sulana de Jager, site manager at De Aar Solar Power.
De Jager, who also began her career as an intern at the company, highlighted the programme’s dual benefits: inspiring local youths to pursue ambitious goals, and enhancing the company’s drive to develop a pipeline of skills for the energy sector.
The programme offers interns like Douw an opportunity to apply academic knowledge in real-world scenarios, enhancing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
“Working here allows me to contribute to various tasks critical to the solar facility’s maintenance and operation. It is rewarding to apply my skills in such a meaningful setting,” Douw remarked.
