African Fusion June 2018

SAIW bulletin board

Naledi Pandor boosts Centres of Specialisation organisation in Africa, has been awarded the contract from the DHET to act as the ‘Quality Custodian’ of the process in the welding industry.

QCTO programme, which ultimately puts pay to the failed ‘Learnership’ idea. This is an excellent thing for thewelding industry and all other trades in South Africa,” Nell says. One of Nell’s first tasks was to find the two welding TVET partners and, after visit- ing several colleges, the Boland College in Worcester and the East Midlands College inUitenhagewere selected. These colleges will run the QCTO’s ‘dual’ training system, which combines technical education and practical training with authentic work ex- perience in a fabricator’s workshop. Meanwhile the National Skills Fund has set aside R150-million to support the partner colleges across all the sectors to ensure they are up-to-date and ready for training. For the welding industry, it will be Nell’s responsibility to help the two chosen colleges to procure the equipment, train the trainers and generally ensure that their infrastructures are in the appropriate condition for training. SAIW executive director, Sean Blake, says that Minister Pandor’s support of this programme iswonderful news for theweld- ing industry. “The Minister has said that national associations have a key role to play in modernising TVET colleges’ system for the production of intermediate-level skills and the SAIW is certainly ready to rise to the challenge,” he says. He adds that bringing together of all the right players, including the various industries, government and business, in a cohesive programme will do wonders in helping to improve the skills situation in this country. “This is long overdue and the SAIW is commited to doing all it can to make the initiative a success,” Blake concludes.

D epartment of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Minister, Pandor, at a recent meeting with captains of industry, has emphasised the importance of the department’s training initiative to boost youth employment in South Africa. Re- ferred to as the Centres of Specialisation (COS), the programme aims to secure partnerships between industry and 26 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, countrywide, for the training of top artisans in 13 priority trade sectors. One of these sectors is welding and the Southern African Institute of Weld- ing (SAIW), the leading welding training

SAIW’s EtienneNell has beenappointed the industry’s Occupational Team Conve- ner for the implementation of the Quality Council for Trades andOccupations (QCTO) Artisan Welder Curriculum (NOCC – A21), which, within the Centres of Specialisation, aims to produce: a skilled and capable workforce to support economic growth; an increased availability of intermediate skills; and an increased delivery of properly qualified artisan welders. “The Minister is fully committed to the

SAIW’s Etienne Nell, the industry’s Occupational Team Convener for the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) Artisan Welder Curriculum.

SAIW students awarded graduate diplomas A t the Southern Sun at OR Tambo on Friday, the 20 th April 2018, 62 successful students on SAIW and IIW Welding Inspec- tion and IIW Welding Specialist, Welding Technologist and Welding Engineer cours- es were awarded diplomas, with several being awarded more than one.

further 31 students also completed their IIW (Standard) courses, and a further three IIW Welding Technologists and three Welding Specialists are nowalso ready for entry onto the welding industry. To be at an SAIW Certification Awards Dinner is always an emotional experience. One is witness to people young and old changing their lives for the better. It is the ultimate justification of the effort that all the SAIW and SAIW Certification staff members and stakeholders make in order to ensure the best possible results for our most important assets – our students! Well done to all the graduates and to SAIW for its ongoing commitment to personnel and skills development.

With 2017 being the first transition year towards the International IIW IWIP suite of inspection courses, twelve IWIP Basic Cer- tificates and only six SAIW Inspector Level 1 certificates were awarded. Seven students received both Level 2 and IIW Inspection qualifications, with one student, Hendrik Jacobus Denysschen having completed his Level 1, Level 2 and IIW (standard) courses in the same year. A

Dorcus Mmule Matlala (right) proudly displays her IIW International Welding Inspection Personnel – basic level certificate.

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June 2018

AFRICAN FUSION