Construction training in Paarl
2006-09-28
“PEOPLE do not realise what student training is done in Paarl for the construction industry,” says project manager Alie Crook of Boland College’s Drakenstein campus.
In partnership with private provider Tjeka Training Matters (construction) and Tjeka Development Solutions (civil engineering) since 2004, Boland College is currently training hundreds of students for the building and civil industry at their different campusses in the Western Cape.
The partership came into being after a definite need in the Boland area was identified to supply this kind of training.
Previously all employers had to send their workers for training to the Master Builder’s Association training site in Bellville.
A total of 220 unemployed students form part of the Learnership 1000 project of the Department of Public Works and Transport, where 1000 trainees were identified for training in the building industry, and placed at six colleges across the Western Cape.
Of these students, 140 landed at the Drakenstein campus of Boland College in Paarl on 11 July and the rest are at the Worcester campus.
Accommodation was found at a nearby hostel and the Nerina Hostel at the campus opposite Paarl Hospital was revamped to house classrooms where trainees can receive their theory classes.
For the learnerships the College is responsible for the training of fundamentals that include communication, computers and Mathematical Literacy, while Tjeka is responsible for the practical component.
Programmes offered are Community House Builder level 2, Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing, Painting and Decorating, all on level 3, Roadworks level 3 (only at Level 3, Supervision of Construction Processes level 4 and Management of Civil Engineering Construction Processes level 5.
Being assessed after a year or longer depending on the programme followed, and found successful in all the unit standards for that qualification, trainees qualify for a National Certificate.
All the learners for Learnership 1000 are unemployed, but will be placed at different construction companies for the workplace experiential learning component of their training.
As part of Learnership 1000, the learners are also receiving training in Local Economic Development level 4, New Venture Creation level 4 and Craft Operation Management level 5.
Boland College and Tjeka also train employees from various construction companies.
“I’m excited and find the training spot-on for the type of work that I’m doing at Neil Muller Construction,” says a female Carpentry trainee, Linda Naicker.
She was setting out the foundations of a building site and preparing for her NQF3 qualification. Practical training is done at the skills centre at the Drakenstein campus until they are ready to work on site.
Trainees currently at the College come from big construction companies like Power Construction, Asla, J van der Sluys and JJ Dempers.
Trainees are rotated between employer and the college and newly learned skills are practically applied at work.
Trainees who qualified for a learnership receive a weekly stipend from their employers who claim it back from the Construction Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA).
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