Over 100 Tshwane youth selected for artisan skills Training

More than 100 young people from Tshwane townships were all smiles after being selected for the city’s accredited three-year artisan skills training programme offered by the Tshwane Leadership and Management Academy.

Yesterday, Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink and MMC for utility services Themba Fosi welcomed a new group of 114 young people who will be trained in various trades, including plumbing, welding, electrical, mechanical, fitting and turning and boiler-making.

“The three-year programme is registered with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations and has an NQF 4 accreditation.

Combines practical, theory and supervised workplace learning

“It combines practical, theory and supervised workplace learning, which includes nine months of practicals in the various regions of Tshwane,” said Brink.

“[It] also serves as a strategic investment for the city to build in-house capacity for plumbing, electrical and water-related skills to help enhance our response to service delivery challenges.

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“The city has the largest, fully accredited artisan training programme in SA which, to date, has trained over 4 000 young people.”

Brink said a stipend was determined by a council resolution last year, where it was decided that a portion of the Expanded Public Works Programme grant would go towards those in training.

“It’s not a lot of money, but it is enough to support someone in a training programme for the period.”

Great opportunity to be absorbed into the city

Fosi said, as someone who has benefitted from a similar programme, it was a great opportunity to be absorbed into the city or create a future for themselves by starting their own businesses.

“They would be able to qualify and then support their families and service the same communities they came from,” he said.

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Lesego Mananyetso, who will train as a vehicle mechanic, said getting into the programme was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She didn’t expect to get a callback after applying in February.

“We’re very happy and blessed to be here. I feel blessed. It’s good that they hired more women than men. It gives us as young women an opportunity to strive in male-dominated fields. It shows that we as women are capable.”

Dimpho Seboane, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, said she was excited. She said she was looking forward to opening her own plumbing business when she qualifies.