First in the Vaal for HTS Sasolburg
New partnership between CTE Training Academy and HTS Sasolburg a first for the area.
SASOLBURG. – It’s a dream come true for Spanners’ principal, Dirk Coetsee. He has always been an advocate of artisan training on the school premises and this dream is now taking shape.
HTS Sasolburg and CTE Training Academy recently announced a new partnership where CTE provides artisan training at the school.
Jonas Lehoko, owner of CTE, said this is the first step in providing young people and other workers with the necessary training to equip themselves as artisans.
“Many young people leave this area to train in the various fields in Johannesburg or Pretoria. Most of them do not return to this area as qualified artisans. We need to keep our workforce here by providing them with the necessary skills and accreditation. Now they don’t need to leave the area to get their training.”
CTE has been operating from the school since March 2022. Apart from the full-time students registered, there are also men and women coming in to do their assessments to get accreditation for their work.
Currently, the fields of accreditation include welders, electricians, mechanical fitters, and automotive mechanics.
They are hoping to have an artisan testing centre up and running soon that will give Olifantsfontein in Kempton Park a run for its money, but for now, they have started enrolling possible artisans, and soon the school’s learners will benefit from this venture.
Mr Coetsee said CTE also provides short courses with accredited certificates, such as how to work in confined spaces and working on heights.
“There is even a short course on how to work on a shutdown, that will benefit the industries in our area quite a lot.”
The next step will be to get the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (MERseta) involved.
“We are working on a greater plan to help students to continue their training here after matric. We already have some of the area’s companies on board and we are looking forward to involving businesses to ensure that more young people are trained as fully qualified artisans,” Mr Coetsee said.
