ETHEKWINI Municipality will facilitate the training of 10 000 youth as artisans over the next three years to an estimated total cost of R742.1 million, which includes tuition costs, monthly stipends, material and project management.
A report, presented to the Executive Committee last week updated councillors on the progress made around the Artisan Development Project. Youth will be trained in trades such as diesel and petrol mechanics, welding, fitting and turning and electrical maintenance. They will be enrolled at a trade testing centre to get a full artisan qualification.
There are also options for lower skills programmes that have lower entry requirements but will also have a trade test. These include bricklaying, plumbing, carpentry and painting.
The duration and cost of the course depends on the training programming to be undertaken.
According to Tozi Mthethwa from eThekwini Municipality, to source trainees, adverts will be placed in various local newspapers outlining the requirement for each field of study and the number of spaces available for enrollment. Sizakala Centres, libraries and municipal offices will be used for dropping off applications.
Selection will be done on the basis of applicants meeting the stipulated requirements which include being younger than 36, a resident of eThekwini and being unemployed. The project will be in line with the Employment Equity Strategy with 60 per cent of the intake being women.
City Manager Sibusiso Sithole said the municipality wanted people who would be diligent and committed to their studies to apply.
Once their studies were complete, one group would be further trained in entrepreneurship by the Business Support Unit and helped to register their own cooperatives.
“The rest of the artisans would be made available to units for possible employment within the Municipality with the normal recruitment policy still applying,” he said.
Sithole said the municipality was speaking to private businesses about possible partnerships as it was important for the qualified artisans to be absorbed into the job market.
