Life after high school

Volunteers like Fateeqah Manan and Jody Hopley, seen above wielding glue guns at a technojunk workshop, are the life and soul of the MTN Sciencentre.

We want more! So if anyone out there got their grade 12 marks at the end of December and hasn't yet organised a job or further studies, don't sink into depression.

Come to the MTN Sciencentre in Cape Town's Canal Walk shopping mall, where we offer to train matric survivors (must be over the age of 16) as explainers, offering them valuable skills and networking opportunities.

Explainers get trained on the camera obscura with its panoramic view of Cape Town, strap people into the rotating gyroscope, make phone calls on the world's biggest cellphone and splash about with kids at the new water display.

Many of the volunteers - who get a transport allowance of up to 80 Rands a shift - go on to find fulltime work.

''It's fun to work at the science centre, you're not stressed. The staff is always cheerful, they're a nice team to work with. You pick up a lot of experience, your people skills improve, and working here helps if you want to deal with children,'' said 19-year-old Nathan Kayser of Eerste Rivier, who was manning the front desk this week. Kayser works at the MTN Sciencentre on weekends and holidays in between studying psychology at University of the Western Cape.

''We're short of Afrikaans-speaking explainers in particular at the moment, but everyone is welcome to come on the course because we get visitors from across South Africa, including Sotho and Zulu speaking regions,'' said floor manager Busi Maqubela. ''Some of our explainers come to us during their in-service training but we have a nice mix of people from all walks of life.''

The science centre, a popular tourist attraction, is open from 9 am to 6 pm most days. Fridays and Saturdays, however, the science centre is open from 9 in the morning until 9 in the evening, and that evening shift often needs people to work at the centre. Explainers must commit to a minimum of 32 hours - or four eight-hour shifts - every month. As Busi Maqubela points out, that's less time than the average teenager spends watching television.

''If matrics have studied science, that helps. But it's not mandatory. We need people to work in our café, help out with birthday parties and assist with events like our science sleepover on January 11, meant for kids aged eight to 12. Explainers have to be able to walk up to visitors with a smile on their face and show them how exhibits work and why it's fun and interesting.''

''Our first training dates in 2008 are set down for February 18 and 19, from 10 am until 3h30 pm,'' said science centre head Julie Cleverdon.

An application form is available at the front desk at the MTN Sciencentre on the upper level of the Canal Walk shopping Mall on the N1 freeway. Or people can email busi.maqubela@mtnsciencentre.org.za for a copy. Busi can be contacted on 083 276 9512.