NSF, Denel partner to train SA artisans

Financial aid from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) through National Skills Fund (NSF) continues to support Denel’s efforts to train Artisans for South Africa’s defence, aerospace and engineering sectors.

DHET, together with other departments in the economic cluster are at the forefront in dealing with this national priority of artisan training and development through funding initiatives.

This is achieved through skills development funding bodies such as (Sector Education and Training Authority) SETA’s and NSF. These entities have taken the cudgel and are at the forefront of artisan development funding.

For example, NSF alone has approved funding for artisan development, to some of the major parastatals (South African Airways Technical, Eskom, Denel, and Transnet).

The parastatals are getting re-oriented to resume the national service of training artisans for the economy. This is also in-line with the developmental state objective.

Through the parastatals artisan development programme, the state is asserting its role in skills development for sustained and inclusive growth.

Denel is one of the State Owned Companies (SOC’s) that were recommended by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) for funding by NSF artisans development programme.

The funding for Denel and other SOC’s is pursuit of the objectives of Memorandum of Understanding between the DHET and DPE which entails cooperation in skills development. The funding to Denel is to assist the company to leverage its existing capabilities to significantly increase the number of qualified artisans and professionals produced through their training programmes targeting the unemployed and underemployed.

Over the past two years the DHET through NSF has funded more than 160 students who trained as Artisans at the Denel Technical Academy-DTA. The Academy located at Denel’s campus in Kempton Park is the main hub for Artisan training at Denel.

Approximately 20% of these Artisans are absorbed by Denel and the rest are trained for the broader industry. Denel invests more than R50-million a year in skills development programmes. This includes bursaries and internships for engineers and artisans, career development within Denel and enrichment courses for high school learners in the critical subjects of mathematics, science and technology.

“The funding from the DHET through NSF enabled us to increase our throughput to 355, thereby exceeding our shareholder compact target, and making a contribution towards the training of future artisans and technicians that can meet South Africa’s broader needs for skilled human resources,” says Rani Padayachey, the Head of the Denel Technical Academy – DTA.

The first grant of R42.5-million was awarded in 2014 and was fully funded to train 124 apprentices up to qualification.  In 2015 a 2^nd grant of R15m was awarded and was co-funded by the NSF and Denel to train 73 apprentices up to qualification.  During the first year the students receive academic and practical training before they are placed within industry to gain work place experience in the 2^nd and 3^rd year and then qualify.

“As Denel we value the partnership we have built with the National Skills Fund since the awarding of the first grant in 2014,” says Rani Padayachey.  More than 90% of the beneficiaries come from previously disadvantage backgrounds.  The impact of this funding has been phenomenal on the lives of our learners.

Selogadi Mokwele, a beneficiary of this funding has the following to say, “ I Selogadi Mokwele would like to get the opportunity to give gratitude to the NSF bursary. The impact that this bursary made in my life is very huge and it is unforgettable.  At home we are a family of eleven, six children, two parents and three grandchildren.  Both parents are unemployed and four of the children are schooling.  Before this bursary we were all depending on the UIF money which was given to my father from the company he previously worked for. My other siblings quit school in order for me to go to school.

The impact that this bursary made not only in my life but in my families lives is very huge and I would be eternally grateful for it. 

I hope this letter shows my gratitude towards this opportunity. I can’t Thank you more.

The funding from the NSF contributes greatly to Denel’s ability to attract quality students and support them to follow careers in high-technology or advanced manufacturing industries. The regular inflow of new artisans and technicians also enables Denel to remain a leader in the highly competitive global defence and security sectors.

The Denel Group is the country’s leading enterprise in defence and advanced technology and is globally recognised as among the top 100 defence companies in the world – and the second largest in the southern hemisphere.

During the past decade alone, the DTA has trained skilled artisans at a rate of more than 250 a year and offered advanced technical training to more than 520 others in specialised courses.

Padayachey says the Denel Training Academy is well-known in the industry for its high academic standards and the quality of its technical training. In the last five years the academy achieved a pass rate of over 90%.