" The construction industry is expected to go through a high growth phase , owing especially to a greater focus on housing projects . There needs to be a focus on correctly training teachers ," says Sean Jones of Artisan Training Institute ( ATI ).
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FEATURES
These scarce skills shortages may slow progress in the design and construction of specific projects , and are also likely to impact on the maintenance of existing infrastructure as well as on the delivery of basic services .
The concern pertaining to scarce skills shortages is heightened by the fact that , apart from the planned mega-projects , existing construction and engineering operations are working to capacity owing to the fact that the industry has been expanding over the past five years . This has resulted in a rise in costs , and has had an impact on quality . Relating to critical skills , there is a significant shortage of experienced managers , engineers , supervisors and qualified artisans that is threatening to stall service delivery unless ameliorated delivery systems are instituted , in concert with supporting interventions which can assist in bridging the current gaps . In the public sector these shortages are reflected particularly at the point of delivery in local government .
Equally , these challenges are also reflected in the private sector where , for example , the lack of experienced site managers is seen to undermine delivery in terms of expected time , cost and quality requirements .
In the medium term , a comprehensive challenge is to restore or replace the skills pipeline that produces the wide range of skills required by the construction and engineering industries .
This is vital as it is suggested that , even if the construction and engineering industries can overcome the short-term challenges by reorganisation and targeted HR interventions ( including focused training programmes , internships and mentoring ), as well as by importing scarce skills , their ability to do so will decline over the next five years unless new capacity and skills are developed in the interim .
SOLUTIONS AT HAND
ATI is making a substantial difference in the technical training environment as it drives quality training throughout its operations . They provide artisan and related training in the following disciplines : electrical , fitting and
" The construction industry is expected to go through a high growth phase , owing especially to a greater focus on housing projects . There needs to be a focus on correctly training teachers ," says Sean Jones of Artisan Training Institute ( ATI ).
turning , millwright , boiler making , plating , welding , diesel- , petrol- , tractor mechanic , auto electrician , measurement control and instrumentation , rigging as well as artisan refresher courses .
Similar to the ATI is technikon , Sol-Tech , where 95 % of students who graduate from Sol-Tech ’ s vocational training are successfully employed – a fifth of which are selfemployed . Managing director Paul van Deventer says , “ We are training young people in those scarce fields precisely because we know that upon completion of their training they will find good jobs and we know that vocational training therefore offers them a future in South Africa .”
The Department of Public Works has set out aspects to restore the skills pipeline , these include strengthening geographic reach to rural areas in terms of increasing the number of mathematics and science graduates at grade 12 level ; improving the quality and relevance of current programmes ( particularly learnerships and FET colleges ); as well as improving the attractiveness of the industry with ongoing interventions by the department and industry and professional associations .
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