Leader of Harmony project nominated for Woman of the Year
Alta Wessels has been nominated for the prestigious Shoprite Checkers/SABC2 Woman of the Year Award, Harmony announced today.
As head of Harmony’s Jewellery School and actively involved in the establishment of a jewellery hive in Virginia. Wessels, is a woman with vision, determination and perseverance, said Harmony Director Ferdi Dippenaar.
The Harmony Jewellery School was the first of its kind in the Free State and was inaugurated in November 2000.
“Some years ago, Alta was involved in setting up a jewellery diploma course. This was at the same time that Harmony began looking into how we could add to ‘beneficiation’, or adding value to the gold we are mining. We had a jewellery school and production facility in mind and when we heard about what Alta was doing – which also involves the use of manufacturing and information technology in making jewellery, we were very keen to involve her in whatever we decided to do,” said Dippenaar.
The Shoprite Checkers award pays tribute to the most exceptional and achieving women in the country who have not only achieved success in their own respective fields but who have made a tangible difference in communities and society as a whole. It is hoped that the award will highlight role models and encourage other women to pursue their dreams.
Wessels says she developed a quality training facility for mostly disadvantaged South Africans running a Diploma Course programme with bursaries to these talented individuals, mostly from surrounding communities. In 2003, 12 Learners qualified with the certificate course in Jewellery Manufacturing and 4 of them are currently employed at the Jewellery School as Technical Facilitators and helping with Teaching and Product Development.
The National Diploma in the Jewellery Design and Manufacturing is offered by the Central University of Technology, Free State on the premises of the Harmony Jewellery School in Virginia and there are 16 first and 14 second year diploma students enrolled. Currently 12 of the second year students are bursed by the Mining Qualification Authority Seta’s Bursary programme.
Over and above donating facilities, Harmony has spent R5.3 Million on the building costs and THRIP Product Development as well as Bridging Funding and Bursaries. The program was also sponsored by the Italian Government; via the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), The MQA Bursary Program for the Diploma Students Esdle Project and the Central University of Technology, Free State.
“We wish her luck for the award – she is an imaginative, creative, far-sighted and deserving woman influencing the lives of many people around her,” said Dippenaar.
For more details contact:
Ferdi Dippenaar
Marketing Director
+27(0)82 807 3684
Brenton Saunders
Executive, Investor Relations
+27(0)83 607 4060
Vusi Magadana
Investor Relations Officer
Office: +27 11 684 0149
Mobile: +27(0)72 157 5986
vusi.magandan@harmony.co.za