VANDERBIJLPARK. – The ArcelorMittal South Africa Foundation, in partnership with the GetOn Foundation, is expanding the organisation’s Pretoria-based Skills Development Centre to the Vaal. Operating from the ArcelorMittal South Africa Business Park in Vanderbijlpark, it is expected that the Vaal GetOn Skills Development Centre will benefit over 250 youth in 2022.
“We are uniquely placed to make a positive difference in the lives of community members and, in an economy where more than 60% of our young people are excluded, equipping them with knowledge, skills and practical training will allow them to take advantage of opportunities they never had before and give them a chance at a better future,” said Prudence Masike, Manager of ArcelorMittal South Africa Foundation.
ArcelorMittal South Africa has partnered with the GetOn Foundation since 2012, when the company first provided premises for the organisation at its Pretoria plant. The GetOn Skills Development Centre was established in 2006 with the aim of instilling fundamental skills within impoverished communities.
The primary aim is to alleviate poverty by empowering individuals who leave the GetOn training programmes employable and motivated to succeed at life because they have been taught in a professional and work simulating environment.
In the 2021/2022 financial year, the GetOn Skills Development Centre trained over 1 500 accredited courses. Around 70% of the 632 students who completed job specific courses were economically active within three months of completing their courses.
Follow up research showed that 97% of the students who completed job specific training between March 2020 and February 2021 were economically active for a full year after finishing their course, proving the importance of experiential learning.
Since the opening of the Vaal Skills Development Centre on 1 June 2022, the Centre has made significant progress:
- Local employment provided for three trainers and one administrator at the Centre
- More than 150 students registered for courses online
- First group of students attending classes:
- 37 completed Life Skills classes
- 15 in Point of Sales course
- 22 in Entrepreneurship course
It is compulsory for every student to do experiential training before graduating. The GetOn Foundation partners with various retailers, schools, hospitality- and service-driven companies to enable the placements of students for experiential training and potential employment.
“The work of the GetOn Foundation is closely aligned to our aspirations to be brokers of hope, uplifting people, improve their quality of life and creating opportunities for long-term development,” concluded Masike.
ABOUT THE ARCELORMITTAL SOUTH AFRICA FOUNDATION
ArcelorMittal South Africa is a significant employer and source of business revenue in all the communities in which it operates.
The ArcelorMittal South Africa Foundation concentrates on delivering socio-economic impact through existing, well-established investments and by broadening cooperation with a wider range of organisations which have proven track record in community development.
