Electricity and Control May 2024

RESKILLING, UPSKILLING + TRAINING

New in education and training for industry

‘Spark your interest’ – online course attracts youth The free, interactive online training course, Spark Your Interest in Electricity , has, since its launch more than a year ago, seen about 1 700 students from English speaking Africa enrolling for the programme and completing one or more sub courses. To date, most of the enrolments have been from South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. The Spark Your Interest in Electricity course, which was designed and launched by a partnership between Schneider Electric and multimedia giant Trace, is available on the Trace Academia app from both the Google Play (Android) and Apple iStore (iOS) platforms. “Schneider Electric is leading the way in providing training for the youth. With the world becoming increasingly digital and virtual, we’ve ensured that our training approach keeps up with these evolving trends,” says Zanélle Dalglish, Global Leader: Training & Education Affairs. Dalglish was instrumental in establishing the course with Trace Academia. “ Spark Your Interest in Electricity provides an introduction to electricity for those young people who are described as NEET (not in employment, education or training) as well as anyone who is interested to understand the basics of electricity. The course was designed and developed by a team of experts from South Africa and the curriculum is carefully designed to include the important modules required to ‘spark your Interest in electricity’,” says Dalglish. The course has been developed in line with Trace Academia’s criteria for course certification, which includes a rigorous approval process, and aims to provide ‘virtual A new training centre in Lephalale, Limpopo In line with the company’s stated aim of expanding its roots, extending its services to offer all forms of training and skills development, and making a sustainable difference in re ducing unemployment – the Dekra Institute of Learning (IOL) has opened a branch in Lephalale (formerly Ellisras), a regional hub just east of the Waterberg coal-mining dis trict in Limpopo. Here, there is an urgent need for an accredited provider of skills training programmes, industry-related qualifica

hands-on’ training in the field of electricity. It also serves as a precursor to encourages youth to take the next step; enrolling in an electricians’ or related course provided at a tertiary or vocational institution. To obtain a Spark Your Interest in Electricity certification, which serves as an introduction to electricity, students must complete the entire course syllabus which includes eight modules:

- Discover the magic of electricity - Electrical sockets and light fittings - Connecting wires - Principles of electricity - Discover circuit breakers - Understand series and parallel circuits - What are electrical hazards - What Is an earth leakage device.

Zanélle Dalglish, Schneider Electric.

“Our aim with the course material is to spark students’ in terest, laying the groundwork for future studies in the elec trical trade. Module 1 of the course delves into the magic of electricity, including its formation, movement, and stor age, and another module, for example, provides insight into understanding series and parallel circuits, which is funda mental to any electrical work,” says Avin Ramjeeth, Projects & Offer Manager at the Schneider Electric Academy. Carina van Zyl, Corporate Citizenship Leader for Anglo phone Africa, Strategy and Sustainability comments: “The Schneider Electric Spark your Interest in Electricity course is one of many education and training initiatives that are central to the company’s commitment to Youth Impact though Learning.” tions, and occupation-focused adult-based education to serve the local coal mining, agricultural, power generation and commercial sectors. DEKRA IOL Head of Training and Consulting, Christopher Mörsner says, “We are filling this void by offering much needed QCTO-accredited safety, First Aid and other occupational and skills training. “DEKRA IOL is the only training provider in this regional centre offering business and operational training with a strongly client-centric approach. This is the right time and place for us to collaborate with and support the local training industry.” He adds: “The strategic decision to open this branch stems from our commitment to localising our services – and in this way addressing the specific safety and occupational training requirements of the businesses and sectors oper ating in the town, and in the wider region. These include the mining, power generation, renewable energy, agriculture and petrochemical sectors. “Choosing Lephalale was driven by its status as For more information visit: www.se.com

Members of the DEKRA IOL and DEKRA Industrial management team at the Lephalale branch opening.

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26 Electricity + Control MAY 2024