Furniture World in Pretoria, Gauteng, and the North West Community Education and Training (NW CET) College in Brits, North West, were the focus of an oversight visit by the National Skills Fund (NSF) Executive Committee.
The visit, led by Acting Executive Officer David Mabusela, with the Fund’s executive and regional management of the Fund, took place on 22 and 23 April 2024.
During the engagements with the funded providers, Mabusela emphasised the NSF’s commitment to a balanced approach: “The organisation recognises and encourages excellence in skills development providers who follow established procedures to address any shortcomings. Furthermore, in the case of high-performing projects, the NSF seeks opportunities for massification and responsible expansion to reach a wider beneficiary base through various interventions,” said Mabusela.
Furniture World, a private college that has been involved in skills development since 2001, plays a vital role in implementing skills development programmes.
The NW CET College, a public institution under the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), also plays a crucial role in these programmes.
Skills development projects are important in addressing unemployment and upskilling citizens in South Africa.
For the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 December 2025, the NW CET College was funded with R229 million to support 445 beneficiaries across various interventions.
During the same period, Furniture World was approved for R22,4 million, which will assist 100 beneficiaries across multiple artisan programmes.
During the visit, the NSF delegation encountered a remarkable story of Tshepo Baloyi, a 22-year-old beneficiary from Soshanguve, who used his skills and knowledge to build a house for his mother.
Despite receiving a monthly stipend of just over R2 900, he has improved the lives of those around him, like his mom and younger siblings who lived in a shack. He demonstrated how even a seemingly modest stipend, combined with acquired skills, can have a significant impact.
Proud CEO of Furniture World Charles Broodie commended Tshepo’s initiative and acknowledged the crucial role played by NSF funding in making it possible. The impressed NSF Exco members witnessed first-hand how the programme empowers beneficiaries to transform their lives.
The visit, following another to the Industrial Education and Training Institute (IETI) in the Western Cape in December 2023, represents a new era of stakeholder engagement through regular oversight.
Highlighting the importance of these visits, Mabusela said: “The initiative, along with exploring avenues for decentralised skills development project initiation, improves regional efficiency and empowers regions to take ownership and accountability for the complete skills development value chain. The move tackles bottlenecks associated with centralised project initiation.”
By Asanda Msileni, Deputy Director: Public Relations & Communication
