Astron Energy is a company which has developed a training approach called STEAM (Science, Technology, Arts and Maths). It aims to improve literacy levels, develop problem-solving skills and give young people the best possible chance of succeeding in a digital future.
The company has made significant investments in educational initiatives around the country in a bid to address gaps in key skills and to help build a pipeline of talent for a future which will be driven by 4IR.
This includes a partnership with the Cape Town Science Centre which teaches and supports key STEM skills, including coding and robotics, to 10 primary and 10 high schools in the Western Cape Education Department Metro North district. This includes communities surrounding the Astron Energy refinery in Milnerton.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the company has teamed up with the Centre for the Advancement of Science and Mathematics Education (CASME) to reach schools located around Astron Energy’s lubricant manufacturing plant in Durban. A similar initiative exists in Gauteng’s East Rand area where Astron Energy has teamed up with ORT SA to conduct training and support for 10 schools.
Winny Dubazane, Astron Energy Social Investment Advisor, said: “We have seen definite improvements in maths because of focused training in STEM subjects which is extremely encouraging for us as we seek to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers.”
The expanded programme now includes collaboration with the Western Cape Primary Science Programme which focuses on science as well as numeracy and literacy basics at 12 primary schools. The company has also teamed up with Shine Literacy and Ruratech to deliver education programmes and support in the form of learning tablets to the identified schools in Gauteng.
In total, the Astron Energy education programmes reaches more than 10 000 learners a year. The company will be looking to extend the Arts component to include a greater focus on social studies, physical arts, fine arts and music.