SA youth need usable skills

SA youth need usable skills

We speak to Sean Fenn, CEO Ekurhuleni Artisans and Skills Training Centre ​

“One of the biggest challenges to youth employability are usable skills. We focus on equipping our youth with real skills to enable employability. These skills are linked to the needs of business and to make it possible for learners to have a hope and a future in our economy.

“In 2006, Ekurhuleni Artisans & Skills Training Centre realised that there was a huge gap in the education system and that is where we are already making a difference and will continue to do so in the future. Our programmes are developed to equip the person with essential skills in a workshop environment over a short period of time. On completion of the course the trainee will be competent in specific skills in one of the 13 trades offered. They will be able to start working immediately, either as an employee of a large corporation or as an entrepreneur, and as a result also provide jobs to other less fortunate individuals.”

What are some of your major milestones, achievements and challenges?

As per our mission statement, we focus on equipping individuals with practical skills and have through the years managed to achieve that.

What are some of the trends you’ve noticed in the industry over the last 13 years?

There has been a steady growth of artisans’ schools opening up in the country over the past 13 years. We have also noticed a shift in the government focus on funding from the more academic type to more focus on training of artisans, thus having an impact on the skills development in SA in general. There is a huge interest from high school kids wanting to take up artisan training as an alternative option to your normal academic university education.

What services are offered by Mobile Trailer?

All civil works, including welding, carpentry-industrial, painting, decorating and bricklaying.

Although we offer the service of Mobile Training, we always recommend that training takes place at our centre, where learners can interact with others and have access to a fully equipped skills training centre. It also depends on the number of learners for us to be able to offer this service.

What is EASTC’s contribution to the growth of the economy and employment?

Our mission is to empower people and contribute to social upliftment by presenting short, practical- orientated skills courses. Our aim is to equip individuals with the necessary skills and development that will enable them to be employed in the commercial sector or to become entrepreneurs in their own right.

This is achieved by providing these individuals with superior training in their specialist fields. Our objective is to equip each person with skills for life.

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COURSE CONTENT IS TAILOR-MADE TO SUIT

• Artisans already employed in the industry and wanting to improve their skills.
• Artisans readying themselves to do their Trade Test.
• People that want to change careers.
• School drop-outs that show an interest in and have the ability to work well with their hands.
• College and university students who need to gain practical experience.
• School-leavers who want to specialise in one of these trades; who have just passed matric with no future plans in place yet. They now have the opportunity to evaluate all the trade options and choose the course and career prospects that appeals to them. A little entrepreneurial spirit combined with the right course will go a long way towards building a prosperous and successful private business.
• Employees who have been sent by their respective employers to improve on their skills. Courses

are tailor-made to suit specific requirements of the employer’s wide range of needs through practical training courses.

Please comment on the history of EASTC and the services you offer.

Ekurhuleni Artisans & Skills Training Centre realised in 20 06 that there is a huge gap in the education system and that is where we are already making a difference and will continue to do so in the future. Our programmes are developed to equip the person with essential skills in a workshop environment over a short period of time. On completion of the course the trainee will be competent in specific skills in one of the 13 trades offered. They will be able to start working immediately, either as an employee of a large corporation or as an entrepreneur, and as a result also provide jobs to other less fortunate individuals.

What are some of your major milestones, achievements and challenges?

As per our mission statement, we focus on equipping individuals with practical skills and have through the years managed to achieve that.

What are some of the trends you’ve noticed in the industry over the last 13 years?

There has been a steady growth of artisans’ schools opening up in the country over the past 13 years. We have also noticed a shift in the government focus on funding from the more academic type to more focus on training of artisans, thus having an impact on the skills development in SA in general. There is a huge interest from high school kids wanting to take up artisan training as an alternative option to your normal academic university education.

What services are offered by Mobile Trailer?

All civil works, including welding, carpentry-industrial, painting, decorating and bricklaying.

Although we offer the service of Mobile Training, we always recommend that training takes place at our centre, where learners can interact with others and have access to a fully equipped skills training centre. It also depends on the number of learners for us to be able to offer this service.

What is EASTC’s contribution to the growth of the economy and employment?

Our mission is to empower people and contribute to social upliftment by presenting short, practical- orientated skills courses. Our aim is to equip individuals with the necessary skills and development that will enable them to be employed in the commercial sector or to become entrepreneurs in their own right.

This is achieved by providing these individuals with superior training in their specialist fields. Our objective is to equip each person with skills for life.

___________________________________________________________________________

Ekurhuleni Artisans and Skills Training Centre realised in 2006 already that there is a huge gap

in the education system and that is where we are already making a difference and will continue to do so in the future.

Our programmes are developed to equip the person with essential skills in a workshop environment over a short period of time. On completion of the course the trainee will be competent in a specific field and will be able to start working immediately, either as an employee of a large corporation or even as an entrepreneur, and as a result also providing jobs to other less fortunate individuals.

COURSE CONTENT IS TAILOR-MADE TO SUIT

• Artisans already employed in the industry and wanting to improve their skills.
• Artisans readying themselves to do their Trade Test.
• People that want to change careers.
• School drop-outs that show an interest in and have the ability to work well with their hands.
• College and university students who need to gain practical experience.
• School-leavers who want to specialise in one of these trades; who have just passed matric with no future plans in place yet. They now have the opportunity to evaluate all the trade options and choose the course and career prospects that appeals to them. A little entrepreneurial spirit combined with the right course will go a long way towards building a prosperous and successful private business.
• Employees who have been sent by their respective employers to improve on their skills. Courses

are tailor-made to suit specific requirements of the employer’s wide range of needs through practical training courses.

Our courses are affordable to place them within reach of lower income groups. Our ultimate goal is to restore the self-esteem and self-confidence of the unemployable or “school drop-outs” and provide them with the necessary skills to be financially independent and to provide for their families.

Ekurhuleni Artisans and Skills Training Centre offers a number of non-accredited skills courses and numerous SETA-accredited courses in 13 trades up to learnership level. We are also in the process of acquiring private college status so that we can cater for a wider corporate market.

Our students will be an asset to any company in the sense that they already have the necessary skills training to be productive from day one.

OUR VISION

The vision of Ekurhuleni Artisans and Skills Training Centre is to be the skills training centre of choice in South Africa and the continent.

OUR MISSION

Our mission is to empower people and contribute to social up-liftment by presenting practical-orientated skills courses, through superior training, in a market-related need in Africa.

COMPANY INFORMATION

STATISTICS/ DEMOGRAPHICS/ HISTORY

Year founded: 2006

Holding company: Tefla Group Number of employees: 54 Number and location of branches: 1

BEE level: 1 (135% recognition)

Trade affiliations:

• Ekurhuleni Captains of Industry Forum (ECOIF)
• Progressive Business Forum (PBF)
• Association of Private Providers of Education Training and Development (APPETD)
• Proudly South African
• LEADSA

Memberships:

• Department of Higher Education and Training
• Progressive Business Forum (PBF)
• CETA
• EW SETA
• FoodBev SETA
• Mictseta

CONTACT DETAILS

Physical address: 43b Maxwell Street, Kempton Park, 1619

Telephone number: 011 394 1488 / 011 970 3082 / 3 /5

Fax number: 011 394 3154

Email address: queries@eastc.co.za

Website: www.eastc.co.za