Bridging the skills gap, one brick at a time

Bricks and cement are basic requirements for any building project. They are also the unsung products that have opened opportunities for thousands of people, created employment, enabled entrepreneurs to create small businesses, earn a living and employ and upskill other people.

The bricklaying skills training funded by PPC will enable a new generation of specialist artisans

The fact is that bricklayers are always in demand,” says Njombo Lekula, Managing Director of PPC Southern Africa. “Whether the call is for someone to build a garden wall, braai area, do repairs or tackle a larger project, anyone who has skills, transport, some tools and a dash of determination can earn a living.

“That is why, this year, PPC introduced South Africa’s first bricklaying course for ‘bakkie builders’ – that intrepid breed of informal builders who are usually the first people called upon when something needs doing,” he explains.

“Until this year, however, many of these self-starters did not have the necessary knowledge about cement selection, creating mixes and the techniques needed to ensure that their projects would be totally fit for purpose. Often, the results have been mixed as far as quality is concerned.

“As South Africa’s largest cement producer, we felt we should be helping to create a new generation of bakkie builders – people with the knowledge and ability to deliver quality building projects.”

The result of PPC’s determination to make a difference has been the two-week course in bricklaying, which has the potential to change futures and provide a launching pad into the world of construction.

It has not just been people hoping to break out of poverty who are lining up to be trained. The course has also attracted unemployed young engineering and construction graduates looking for some practical experience to help kick-start their careers.

Thirteen students from Gauteng have already attended a course at the PPC Cement factory in Pretoria West. Within eight months, it is intended that more than 200 bakkie builders will be given a chance to improve their abilities.

“PPC understands that many attending the course will not have the funds to buy the tools necessary for bricklaying services after the course. In addition to the course, we are, therefore, assisting participants to buy the basic tools they require to start a bricklaying business,” says Lekula.

To ensure that access to the course is as easy as possible, PPC has partnered with private FET college Motheo Academy, an active participant in the built environment, to provide the training.

People wishing to enrol in a course, which is offered free of charge, can either apply to join a course, or be nominated by a retailer or supplier.

Other courses that cover the theory and practice of bricklaying, plastering and construction management will soon be available across the country as PPC expands its efforts to promote skills development in the construction industry.

Programmes will include a 10-day plastering course covering wall plastering and the screeding of floors. A five-day management programme will include construction team management, health and safety, and the use and storage of construction materials.

All attendees completing the NQF level 3 (bricklaying and plastering) and NQF level 4 (construction management) programme will receive South African Qualifications Authority certificates.

“We believe that by helping create interest in construction at an informal, grassroots level – and further up the formal building chain – we will be encouraging more young people to consider construction as a career path.

“PPC is a proudly South African company. As such, we are committed to helping foster a vibrant construction industry so that the nation can reach its development goals. Ensuring this outcome can only be achieved by building the construction industry itself,” Lekula concludes.