Artisan Development
Our Funded Programmes
Artisan development
Artisan development remains a key focus of the NSF in a bid to ramp up the uptake of artisanal trades and contribute to the National Development Plan (NDP) target of producing 30 000 artisans annually by 2030. This effort bodes well to the DHET priority focus to strengthen the institutional and policy frameworks to promote artisan training and interventions to increase the enrolment of young people in artisan-related streams.
This support includes NSF’s periodic request for proposals (RFPs) aimed at private skills development providers and public state-owned entities to roll out artisan development projects.
It comprises ongoing support towards the Institute for the National Development of Learnerships, Employment Skills and Labour Assessments (INDLELA) which is leading several interventions such as the WorldSkills initiatives and Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL). It includes the Centres of Specialisation (CoS) Programme, a DHET flagship initiative to address the demand for priority trades needed to implement the NDP and, specifically, the National Infrastructure Plan.
During the period of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS) II and III, the NSF allocated funding in support of eight state-owned companies (SOCs) towards their artisan development programmes.
More than 5 000 apprentices were trained by the SOCs, namely: Transnet, Eskom, South African Airways Technical, Denel, Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), South African Nuclear Energy Corporation SOC Limited (Necsa), SA Express and the National Tooling Initiative.
- With Transnet, NSF funding was mainly for procuring equipment and upgrading infrastructure at Transnet campuses and trade test centres.
- NSF funding towards Eskom was for training learners towards becoming electricians, welders, boilermakers, fitters and turners, and electromechanics.
- South African Airways Technical received funding to train artisans in trades such as aircraft radio, aircraft electrical, aircraft instruments, aircraft painter, aircraft turner machinist and aircraft welder.
- Similarly, Denel trained learners towards becoming aircraft avionicians, aircraft mechanics, aircraft structural workers, electricians, fitters and turners, machine tool millwrights, and tool and jig makers.
- Prasa, on the other hand, trained learners towards becoming technicians – power electronic technicians, electrical light current technicians, industrial engineering technicians, electrical heavy current technicians, civil engineering technicians and power electronic technicians – and artisans such as electrical fitters, electrician, mechanics, welders and plumbers.
- Necsa trained learners towards becoming electricians, instrument mechanics, welders, boilermakers, fitters and turners as well as mechanics.
- The National Tooling Initiative received funding to train learners towards becoming toolmakers, mouldmakers, die makers, machinists and machine operators.
The Centres of Specialisation (CoS) Programme aims to gear the public TVET colleges to deliver quality trade qualifications that meet industry demands. It is for this purpose that the programme is delivered in partnership with employers.
The CoS Programme is a model case of the collaboration in the PSET system. The NSF made available funding to upgrade workshops at TVET colleges to meet industry requirements in 13 priority trades as part of the nationwide CoS Programme. The SETAs have ensured that all participating employers in the programme received a discretionary grant and will continue to receive such grants into the future to sustain the programme.
The programme targets 13 priority trades, namely: mechanical fitter, boilermaker, electrician, millwright, bricklayer, plumber, automotive mechanic, diesel mechanic, carpenter and joiner, welder, rigger, fitter and turner, and pipe fitter.
The focus on the 13-priority trade aims to assist the government’s plan to initiate a massive infrastructure investment programme. The programme consisted of 17 at first, then later 18 strategic infrastructure projects (SIPs).
The CoS Programme is also backed by the governments of India and Japan. The government of India injected funding towards the establishment of the Gandhi Mandela CoS, focussed on mechanical fitters, at the Pretoria West Campus of Tshwane South TVET College. This support flows from the memorandum of understanding signed by South Africa and India at the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in July 2018.
On the other hand, the Japan International Cooperate Agency (JICA) supports the fitter and turner trades at Northlink TVET College, Wingfield Campus, and Tshwane South TVET College, Centurion Campus. Starting out with two colleges in the review year, JICA is implementing new teaching methods aligned with the Dual System Pilot Project (DSPP) of the 21st century model (A21) and will assist the DHET in the further rollout across all colleges participating in the CoS Programme. This support has been facilitated through the cooperation between South Africa and Japan in the fields of information and technology, science and technology, as well as attracting essential skills in support of South Africa’s human resource development strategy.
The CoS programme is now mainstreamed and funded through the fiscus. Additionally, 10 TVET colleges were accredited trade test centres for 12 out of 13 CoS trades.