The Department of Labour is providing R60-million to train urgently needed artisans, the Chemical Industries, Education and Training Authority (Chieta) said on Monday.
”We’ve just got the letter from the Department of Labour stating that we’ve got the money for this training,” said Chieta CEO Dr Raymond Patel.
”It’s quite a landmark for us.”
Patel said Chieta would use the funds to train 1 236 learners over the next three years, with the hope that 35% of them would finish the three-year course to reach National Qualifications Framework level 4.
”Our plans have been approved, we now have to roll out,” said Patel.
He said training will start in September.
Fuel refineries and Eskom urgently need artisans to carry out the regular legally required shutdown work on refineries. Eskom uses the same pool of artisans to de-mothball power stations.
On Monday, Business Day reported that the shortage of artisans is threatening the effective shutdown of fuel refineries and could result in a fuel shortage.
Patel said Chieta had spent about R25-million on learnerships during the 2004/5 financial year. Industry added another R12-million, giving a total of R37-million, which was spent on training 1 000 artisans.
Of these, 750 completed the training for shutdown work. Most of the rest also found jobs within the industry.
”We did quite well with it,” said Patel.
Trainees need Grade 11 or 12 maths.
”We’ve got quite a flood of learners streaming to get into our programmes,” said Patel.
The training is being arranged together with the Shutdown Network Forum Employment and Skills Development Lead Employer.
The Network’s CEO, Mike Macrae, said money for training is urgently needed.
”From my side the capacity is there, the trainers are there, the training providers are there.”
He said the pool of potential trainees was ”more than adequate”.
The Network helps to coordinate the refinery shutdowns to minimise the strain on resources, as well as the skills needed for this and to limit the inconvenience.
”It’s like servicing your car. The law says once every four years you must shut down and inspect certain machinery to make sure it’s safe to operate,” said Macrae.
Macrae said the industry needed qualified artisans with two to four years’ experience.
Due to the huge shortage, the country faces importing artisans and equipment to do the work, he said.
The Gautrain will need the same skills.
”A survey was done in 2003 by the National Advisory Council for Innovation. They said we’d be 6 000 artisans short by 2010. My personal feeling is that I reckon we going to be 15 000 short,” said Macrae.
”We should certainly be spending a lot of money on this.”
He said that the impact on the industry and unemployment meant ”the knock-on effects are almost unending”.
Macrae warned that there was no instant fix and that producing qualified artisans will take years.
”We should have started this 10, 15, 20 years ago.” — Sapa