Go for Gold is an award-winning ‘education-to-employment’ public-private initiative, founded in 1999 and is a fully integrated, four-phased programme initiated by the construction sector. It was established in response to the critical shortage of candidates from disadvantaged communities entering the industry. 

The Go for Gold programme is Structured Programme recognised by DTI BBBEE Codes and is designed as a skills development pipeline supporting academic advancement in STEM educations, assisting talented youth from disadvantaged communities who wish to pursue technical vocations in the built environment and varied manufacturing industries. 

The programme consists of four closely integrated phases benefiting youth between the aged 17-23 years of age, from disadvantaged communities and funding is utilised towards paying for:-

Phase 1 – Education Development Programme

• For ±100 to 150 Grades 10, 11, 12 students in the Western Cape and in Gauteng.
• Students receive weekly Maths and Science tuition every Saturday during the school term to help students achieve Bachelor Passes in matric.
• Go for Gold offer psychosocial advancement opportunities through Leadership Development training where we instil vital life skills that aid the students’ success on the programme. Throughout the programme we guide and mentor students to create future employees who are self-confident, have high moral standards, ethical leaders with a good work ethic and a desire to succeed. 
• Students receive career guidance and practical exposure to technical vocations through exciting site visits to Go for Gold partner companies during two Holiday Programmes a year, often students’ first time exposure to the world of work.
• Students are introduced to mentors from their community who are Go for Gold alumni who have succeeded as technical graduates on the Go for Gold programme.
• Ukhetho Grade 12 and Human Resource (HR) company interviews for the Phase 2 – Workplace Learning Internship year.
• Recruitment priority for Go for Gold partner companies. We welcome our partners to offer staff the opportunity to recommend their children’s schools to Go for Gold to present and recruit to the programme.

Phase 2 – Workplace Learning Internship

• Before students enrol in university or college, we give students the opportunity to experience a variety of professions by completing an internship at a Go for Gold partner company, during which their interest and suitability for a particular field is determined.
• Students receive Go for Gold Leadership Development training with course material focussing on integrating into the world of work and how to be an asset to an employer.
• Companies may elect to place Go for Gold interns on Learnerships in the Phase 2 year.
• Companies utilise the Phase 2 year to identify candidates for bursary allocations.

Phase 3 – Higher Education

• Students enter various tertiary institutions to pursue their chosen field of study.
• We assist students in securing bursaries for their multiple years of study.
• Go for Gold assists with sourcing bursaries from our partner companies and external bursary providers.
• Go for Gold host an annual Industry Fundraising Dinner where funds raised cover any tertiary shortfalls our students may have.

Phase 4 – Go for Gold Alumni

• Qualified students join the world of work at either their bursary givers or other technical concerns.
• Students return to mentor younger students in the first three phases.

Our beneficiaries

Learners are selected from schools which are categorised as under-resourced and characterized by poor results, under-qualified teachers, poor discipline and inadequate management. At these schools the teaching of Mathematics and Science is particularly problematic.

The Go for Gold Phase 1 campus in Cape Town serves (but not limited to) the following communities:- Athlone, Bonteheuvel, Crossroads, Gugulethu, Heideveld, Manenberg, Nyanga, Philippi, Belhar, Bellville, Bishop Lavis, Cravenby, Delft, Elsies River, Mfuleni, Parow and Ravensmead.

The Go for Gold Phase 1 campus in Johannesburg serves communities within the Ekurhuleni Municipality:- Springs, KwaThema Springs; Tsakane, Benoni; Duduza, Kingsway, Daveyton.