The programme recently recruited youths to come train…
A programme launched last year to train people as welders in Mpumalanga has produced its first group of 20 graduates.
The course gives the welders the entrepreneurial skills when welding for people and aims to empower them with knowledge to bring solutions where welding is concerned in our society.
It is the work of the Mpumalanga Stainless Initiative (MSI), the Small Enterprise Development Agency(SEDA) and MERSETA.
The programme is called the Mpumalanga Informal Welders Recruitment Programme and was officially launched last year in Middelburg.
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Steel Initiative has partnered with a string of others committed in fighting the issues of unemployment, like Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), MERSETA, Forek Institute of Technology (FIT), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and with DSBD to build the first Mpumalanga trade market, using steel, mild steel, stainless steel & aluminium products.
“And also it will use the fourth industrial tools to unlock the potential that the sector comes with to change the status quo of unemployment in the province and the country as well,” Victor Mashego of Steel Initiative said.
“Two of our other major stakeholders in this project include Columbus Stainless and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism,” he said, adding the aim behind such initiative is to assist rural and township based informal fabricators “to easily access the market and grow their businesses to create employment”.
“I am happy that we have successfully hosted our graduation ceremony for our students last week Friday 17 January 2020,” he said.
The ceremony was held at Steel Initiative offices in Middelburg.
Mashego said through these partnerships they want “to create a situation in which a lot of people will be trained and introduced to the industry”.
“It is not a secret that South Africa’s economy is not creating jobs, so this initiative will see most graduates being converted into business owners through the incubation which is the core business of Steel Initiative. Our aim is to create future black industrialists who will have the necessary skills, knowledge and resources to create sustainable jobs and contribute to the growth of the economy,” he said
This year they want to recruit 100 students throughout the province, with the training starting in March 2020.
Interested individuals can phone 013 246 1528 or visit mpstainless.co.za.
(edited by MLM)
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