While the national TVET month may have ended on August 31, technical and vocational training remains high on the agenda as applications open at most of the TVET colleges around the country for 2023 students.
Empowering young people with skills and knowledge is an essential activity in building and maintaining the economy of any society. This has been the driving force behind an image campaign being run via a TVET partnership project between the Handwerkskammer Erfurt (HWK), the Retail Motor Industry (RMI) Organisation and TVET institutions in the Eastern Cape, funded through the German Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ).
“While we may often look towards schools, colleges and universities as education institutions, vocational skills such as motor mechanics, hairdressing or plumbing, to name just a few, certain practical skills cannot be taught in a classroom, or even in a TVET college alone,” said Birgit Mac Mahon, the resident project manager of HWK.
She said no school can teach what actually goes on in an auto repair workshop, where young learners not only learn how to repair and service cars in a live environment but also learn other highly valuable skills like how to become a responsible members of staff; how to deal with customers and how to handle cars entrusted by the customer.
In the automotive sector specifically, private automotive workshops play an important role in training young people to become motor mechanics, and with the support of government institutions, the cost of training can be mitigated for workshops with the added advantage that they can train their own future technicians.
Finn Auto Repair & Diagnostics in Gqeberha is one such workshop. They have been training young people since 2013, and in cooperation with PE TVET College since 2019. The owner, Jack Finn, currently has three apprentices at his workshop. He himself has always been passionate about motor mechanics and still continues his own training, following the rapid changes in automotive technology. Together with his wife, Bridget Finn, they decided to cooperate with PE TVET College in a government scheme to introduce apprenticeship training in selected TVET colleges. During the three-year apprenticeship, the apprentices alternate between the college where they are taught theory and practical skills, and their employer to deepen their practical skills and also develop additional skills within the working environment.
“There is no doubt these young people still need guidance and the right motivation,” said Jack.
Bridget believes that apprenticeship training is worthwhile for any workshop. “We see great value in training young people who can form part of the future of this sector. We love our workshop and by training and working with our own apprentices, they can develop into our future technicians.”
She stressed the importance of choosing the right candidates so that they can develop into artisans. “With the ever-changing and developing industry, it is important workshops stay abreast of these developments and embrace the responsibility of passing their knowledge on to young people who will ultimately drive this industry forward.”
Useful link for applicants:
merSETA career guide – https://www.merseta.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/merSETA-Career-Guide-2020.pdf
merSETA career guide video – https://youtu.be/qZFH7imRYx4
Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Career help – https://www.careerhelp.org.za/
TVET College career guide – https://www.dhet.gov.za/SiteAssets/TVET%20Careers%20Guide%202021.pdf
Source: Cathy Findley PR
