Company thinks out of the box and lends a helping hand
Stanley Black & Decker made a generous donation to Germiston-based Out of the Box.
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The woodworking division of Out of the Box Learning Centre, a Germiston-based skills development NGO, received a significant boost last Friday when a team from Stanley Black & Decker arrived to help paint, clean up and restock the workshop with state-of-the-art woodworking equipment and power tools.
Out of the Box was founded in the late 1980s by Nina Venjakob who recognised the rich home industries that exist in South Africa could lead to extended job creation by developing skills and creating opportunities to showcase and sell products.
The NGO aims to equip its learners with sustainable skills and business knowledge to start their own enterprises or find employment that earns them a consistent income.
Their ongoing courses include (among others) woodworking, life skills, business management, bookkeeping, candle and soap making, screen printing and sewing.
The woodworking workshop centre, however, was running on outdated (and insufficient) equipment and was in dire need of a new coat of paint and a clean-up.
Stanley Black & Decker stepped in with a generous contribution not only of its man and woman power, but also a full range of Stanley woodworking hand tools, levels, power tools and Black & Decker DIY equipment.
The company also donated some of its computers, for use in computer literacy and computer repair courses.
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“We are still speechless and reeling from the impact of all Stanley Black & Decker did for us,” said Nina.
“For many years to come people will be benefitting from their generosity and building futures for their children because Stanley Black & Decker made it possible.”
Stanley Black & Decker has a strong ethos of empowering communities across the world where the company works and creates employment.
Its CSI manifesto is: “We empower our employees to be makers in their own communities, helping to build homes and rebuild after natural disasters.
“We donate tools and sustain tool-lending programmes to respond to emergencies.
“And we provide volunteer opportunities for our employees to give back to the organisations that matter most to them.
“We are committed to helping employees and people of the world gain the skills and expertise needed to secure jobs and revitalise communities.”
The Out of the Box woodworking course runs over 20 weeks and caters for six to eight learners at a time.
Learners gain a solid understanding of the fundamentals of woodworking, from learning to read and create work from a design, right up to building furniture, including tables, chairs, stools, shelves, cupboards and pedestals.
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