Last monday we had the interviews for the 2009 intake of Green Futures. About 80 applications were received, and these were reduced to 40 candidates who were invited for interview. The process takes place in a relaxed, yet serious atmosphere, and the interview is done in English. This makes it quite nerve-racking for some of the applicants!

It was great to see the quality and enthusiasm of the people that we were able to meet. The criteria by which they are judged include attitude, enthusiasm, ability to communicate in English and background (schooling and work). Some preference is given to those candidates who are currently unemployed.

After a lengthy process and difficult choices, we were able to select 20 candidates who will now spend two weeks working at Green Futures every day from 8am till 1pm. The potential students are hereby given a taste of what Green Futures is all about. They get the chance to meet the team, meet some ex-students and do some work in the nursery. We sometimes have one or two dropouts at this stage, which is not discouraging, as the last thing that anyone wants is to be somewhere that doesn’t inspire them or make them happy. Of the remaining candidates, we choose a final 12 who will become the class of 2009!

Good luck to all the guys and girls, and keep an eye on the blog to see how things go!