OVERVIEW
Education and skills training Sol Plaatje University celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023.
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SECTOR INSIGHT s part of a programme to spread skills to young people living in rural areas, an eco-friendly SMART Skills Centre South Africa has three is to be built in Sabie, the centre of the timber sector in types of public universities. Mpumalanga. The timber structure is the result of a partnership between the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) and the South African Forest Company Limited (SAFCOL). CHIETA aims to provide digital technology and online learning to help young people compete in the job market and the Mpumalanga SMART Skills Centre is just one of several that are being initiated across the country. Among the forestry-related skills that the centre will focus on are drone operators, but it will also respond to national skills needs such as fitters and turners. SAFCOL will cover the cost of erecting the eco-friendly wooden structure and CHIETA will supply the equipment. In November 2023, the Decade of the Artisan Programme will have run its course. The Department of Higher Education and Training set targets for skilled graduates and established Centres of Specialisation Wits Business School launched a new MBA at Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET ) in Health Leadership in 2023. colleges around the country. For example, ORBIT TVET College in the North West offers diesel The Council for Scientific mechanic training at its Mankwe campus and electrical training at and Industrial Research (CSIR) Brits as part of the Centre of Specialisation programme. Centres of has established a Learning Specialisation aim to produce: Factory to support companies in training staff in relevant and • A skilled and capable workforce up-to-date skills. The training • Increased availability of intermediate-level technical skills is offered free and via a variety • Increased delivery of qualified artisans in 13 priority trades of methods: online, virtual, hybrid and practical training In KwaZulu-Natal the Elangeni TVET College has achieved trade on the CSIR campus in Pretoria. test centre accreditation in two disciplines, Welding and Electrical, Among the subjects covered and in 2023, had 50 artisans in training. Higher Education and are the Internet of Things, Training Minister Dr Blade Nzimande has called on principals of Digital Lifestyle Management, TVET colleges to prioritise work placements for students. Additive Manufacturing and Beyond TVET colleges, the private sector actively offers training Big Data Analytics. in basic and advanced skills. Shorter courses such as the twoTh e S o u t h e r n Af r i c a n week bricklaying course offered by cement-maker PPC are greatly Wildlife College, offering appreciated by job-seekers, all the more so because the courses are diploma and short courses in free. PPC is working together with the private Motheo Academy in conservation, is a joint World Johannesburg. Other courses for small business owners or “bakkie Wide Fund for Nature South builders” are offered, such as construction management.
SOUTH AFRICAN BUSINESS 2024
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