Kusile in partnership with Alstom on-site training school project

The on-site school will serve as a facility for enhancing skills on various trades amongst the Kusile Power Station employees.
The school was opened on Wednesday, May 14.

When it comes to skills development, Kusile project looked at a number of key strategic issues affecting South Africa as a whole as well as the Mpumalanga Province. In this regard, Kusile matched its training interventions with National and Regional Scarce Skill Profiles. These include skills such as welding, pipefitting, engineering and other related skills.

The training school is there to cater for two types of training:
*Up-skilling: Brush-up training of artisans struggling with technical problems, mainly category 4 and 5.Up-skilling will be offered in both theory and practice for the trades of welding, rigging, and pipe-fitting.
*Upgrading: That is “lift up” training of labourers according to the project’s needs, mainly category 1 to 3.
It is expected that the training school will assist to bridge the skills gap between local and expatriate artisans and this will benefit and enhance the local skills base within the Mpumalanga Province.

Mr Abraham Masango, Eskom Kusile Power Station Project Manager said: “The on-site school will serve as a facility for enhancing skills on various trades amongst the Kusile Power Station employee artisans. We endeavour to make sure that the project has a lasting positive impact on the many lives of our people. It is our hope and wish that this training facility will equip our people with skills that will make their lives better long after the project is completed.”

Mr Duke Mgaga, HR Director for Alstom South Africa commented: “At Alstom, we regularly collaborate with local partners on projects that focus on job creation, environmental conservation and training. We are proud of our longstanding and highly valued relationship with Eskom, which also launched its graduate bursary scheme recently.

This venture will enable us to continue to build on that relationship and highlight our joint commitment as we develop local skills and talent while addressing the shortage of suitable welding skills in the country.”
The school is affiliated to Aveng Grinaker-LTA’s Welding School in Vanderbijlpark and aims to promote a safe and healthy working environment amongst all artisans.

Following the conclusion on a tender process, Vanashe Trading, a local BWO (Black women-owned) service provider was appointed to build the training school. The construction process began in early 2014. The commissioning and handover of the training school to the training facilitation team was accomplished on April 30 this year.

Alstom is committed to provide training and skills development for its subcontractors and employees and to provide benefit to the communities surrounding its main operations.

Alstom is responsible for the steam turbines, flue gas desulphurisation and control systems at the Kusile Power Station.