Timber iQ October - November 2017 // Issue: 34 | Page 54

FEATURES
Timber truss plant owners should take a stand in regulating skills and training of workers.
agreement they have with us,” says Stephen Dixon, training
co-ordinator at MiTek.
The reason the training is only available to clients is
because their clients use the software daily. “We also have
factory training for the guys that work in the factory shop,
where they assemble the trusses cut the timber, that’s also
only for our customers,” he says. For the factory training,
MiTek goes out to the client’s facility to administer it. “We
go out to our customers and train their employees in the
factory with the equipment they use,” he shares.
The software that MiTek has is customised for the
company and designed by their technicians. There are
three levels to the training and a client can’t take the
course one after another.
“So, with the basic training you go use the training for
six months then you come for intermediate training then
you use it again for around six months to a year then lastly
you do the advanced training,” he adds.
This is so contractors use what they’ve learnt practically.
“Our software training helps the guys understand the
software better and we show them what functionalities are
available for them on all levels as they progress,” he says.
Additionally, with any training that a contractor
undergoes it should be compliant with the South African
52 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017 //
Untrained workers on site don't
always understand the precision
that goes into the design and
fabrication of timber roof structures.
National Standards (SANS) as required by law. MiTek’s
software interprets what you put in and makes sure that
it is within the regulations. It also ensures that your
final design of the structure is compliant with
national standards.
Overall, the responsibility of ensuring people are
trained in the profession should lie with truss plant
owners. ‘They need to ensure their employees’ training is
kept current and up to date with any industry changes.
Doing so will help to elevate the quality and grade of work
done by the erection company and will encourage other
players in the sector to improve their standards through
regular and adequate training,’ according to
Coastal College.