Students get a taste of thereal world

FORTY-THREE environmental health students from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) undertook a study trip to the Kouga recently to experience the realities of their future profession.
Kouga Educational Tour is an annual event which started more than 15 years ago. The tour forms part of the assessment for the course. Students in their second year are taken through different companies in Kouga to see what they deal with daily.
This year their visit included bakeries, butcheries, waste management, water purification and dairy processing plants.
Food hygiene lecturer, Willem Michau said the trip was to expose students to their profession.
"It will make studying easier and the students will have a different outlook on the profession,” said Michau.
The experiential learning programme is a requirement by the Health Professional Council of South Africa.
Occupational health lecturer, Chwayita Mtembu believes the tour will make things easier in class as students will relate their experience to the theory.
Environmental pollution lecturer, Carmen Whittle was happy with the students' enthusiasm.
A student, Bronwen Moolman said the tour was fun and educational. She enjoyed visiting the waste management plant.
"I was surprised and shocked by the process,” she said.