Housing in Southern Africa October-November 2016

order to deliver resilient and vibrant neighbourhoods and cities. Training Academy Mission Statement To conduct Built Environment in- dustry originated research, facilitate the learning of industry sponsored artisans, technicians, technologists, managers and researchers. To pro- vide Short Learning Programmes aimed at professionalisation of the Human Settlements space. This in- cludes engaging and collaborating with other technical and research institutes regionally, nationally, and internationally inorder tomeet future demands and goals. Training Academy Objectives The purpose of the Human Settle- ments Training Academy is to contrib- ute to the development of technical, managerial and professional skills; establishment of new research future studies and development and take advantage of training and research opportunities within the Built En- vironment; facilitate knowledge transfer to and fromthe Built Environ- ment through training and research enterprise. To provide opportunities for youth training, administration, technical, supervisory and profes- sional staff development and provide practicing professionals space to conduct applied research at MSc and Doctoral level with a view to finding

In addition, the affordable market will be tackled in a more determined fashion with a particular emphasis on a constructive engagement with the private sector to improve delivery. For the success of the planned housing and human settlement programme reforms, significant institutional reforms to improve the coordination of housing and human settlement development will be put in place. This includes strengthening major municipalities’ capabilities, and in particular metros, to integrate the housing grants and the human settlement-making grants more ro- bustly. This will give the metros the responsibility of the housing function to them. This will also be supported by an improved interface of the housing and human settlement planning elements with the spatial planning frameworks drivenwithin other parts of government, to guide investment decisions so that they result in more integrated human settlements. In turn, this would result in growth in the value of the propertymarket with a more equitable distribution of its benefits. Training Academy Vision The Academy Vision and its values will be rooted and grounded from the values and legacy of the country’s first democratically elected leader, Nelson Mandela, towards building education, skills and development. In

futuristic solutions to problems in their immediate work environment. The Human Settlements Training Academy’s main objectives include: Brand the Training Academy Human Settlements and Built Environment research excellence. Brand the De- partment of Human Settlements (DHS) professionalisation project. Expand Built Environment train- ing and research capacity through the harnessing of multi-disciplinary training and research competencies in the participating of Technical Voca- tional Education & Training (TVETS), Schools, faculties and universities Produce skilled artisans, admin- istration, technical, supervisory and professional staff and develop research outputs tailored to specific needs of the Built Environment indus- try stakeholders. The Academy’s activities will be clustered into four knowledge fields (Schools): namely School of Con- struction Supervision and Technical Excellence; School of Management Development and Capacity Build- ing; School of Professionalism and Innovation and School of Demand Planning, Knowledge Management, Research and Futures Studies. Each of the knowledge fields will be well endowedwith experts in the area and where necessary additional capacity will be sourced from collaborating Departments in other Faculties, Uni- versities and Technical Vocational Education & Training. ■

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