In-Touch Community Development and Project Managers is one of the implementing providers of the National Skills Fund’s (NSF’s) rural development initiative in Limpopo. With approved funding of R13,3 million for three years up to 2021, In-Touch is training 75 apprentices from Nwamita and Mookgopong in Limpopo in bricklaying, carpentry and plumbing.
Noko Ndifu Mhleng (25) from Seshego, Polokwane, in Limpopo, started off with a plumbing learnership at In-Touch and on completion, she applied for the plumbing apprenticeship programme.
Before joining In-Touch, she studied boilermaking. “It was the common stereotypical view that women are unable to do anything in plumbing that inspired me to further my plumbing vocation”.
Her most notable highlight is being placed at Letaba Hospital for workplace exposure in the plumbing field.
On the hand, Prince Pilotse Mogale (27) completed his N6 in Building and Civil Construction at the Mopani South East TVET College Phalaborwa Campus in 2012.
Although he got part-time work on construction projects, and facilitated learnerships for other companies, he experienced difficulty in acquiring the appropriate practical experience in his field of study.
“I saw an advert about the In-Touch programme in 2018 and was fortunate to have been placed in the carpentry field. I really love what I am doing because I get to learn how to create door frames, roofing and all the other interesting things in carpentry”.
Mogale is also placed at Letaba Hospital construction site for workplace training. He would like to open up a construction company that specialises in carpentry when he completes the apprenticeship programme.
Doctor Msumbi (23) from Thoyandou, Venda, in Limpopo, studied information systems, but did not complete his studies because he had love and passion for bricklaying.
“In the beginning, the bricklaying programme was tough because I knew very little about building but I am learning through every mistake I have made. I can now identify many building techniques that I did not know before enrolling with In-Touch”, Msumbi said. He plans to open up his own construction company when he completes his apprenticeship.
This article was published in the NSF 2018/19 Annual Report
