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TVET PROJECT ASSISTS IN BENCHMARKING OF TWO TRADES

By NOKUZOLA THWALA | 2023-07-27

THE Taiwan Technical Mission’s TVET Project has assisted the Directorate of Industrial and Vocational Training (DVIT) in Benchmarking for two trades.

Through assistance from the Technical and Vocational Skills Certification Enhancement (TVET) Project, DIVT’s Director, Ernest Simelane led a seven-member delegation South Africa for the training. Project Manager, Baron Wang said the delegation also comprised of Senior Trade Testing Officer, Sikhulile Makhanya, two trade testing panel members from Gwamile VOCTIM, Elvis Kunene and James Dlamini under Welding and Automotive Repairs, respectively.

Wang said the delegation spent the first day at Majuba College at the Newcastle Training Centre, which was both a training and trade testing centre, and was one of the most preferred training centres to some reputable companies in Eswatini.

He said during the visit, they also met with Majuba TVET College WorldSkills Committee Chairperson Uda Lalthaparsadh, who headed the Newcastle Electrical department.
“Lalthaparsadh trained the team which represented South Africa in the 2022 Worldskills competition in Austria.

“We also got to experience the benchmarking exercise together with TVET Project Specialist Mazambane Dlamini. The benchmarking was mainly done in two trades namely welding and motor vehicle mechanic,” he said.

On the second day, the delegation visited FDT Craft Training Centre in Secunda, which is an accredited private institution offering both training and trade testing.

The centre offers training course in electrical, pipe fitting, welding, rigging, boilermaking and mechanical fitting. Out of all the courses offered, he said the trade testing was provided on welding, boilermaking, rigging and mechanical fitting.

Wand said the two-days benchmarking visits were a follow-up to another, which was conducted last year at Shukela Training Centre in Durban.

He disclosed that Shukela Training Centre was also a favourite training and trade testing centre to some local companies in the country.
The benchmarking at Shukela was for the electrical trade and it preceded the renovation of the DIVT’s electrical trade testing workshop.

delegation
“Later this year, the project will send a delegation comprising of lecturers from the institutions Eswatini College of Technology, VOCTIM and the DIVT to South Africa to witness the skills competitions.

“The project is in constant touch with management of Worldskills South Africa and they have received invitation to attend national competitions in December and they are yet to receive invitations for provincial competitions once dates are finalised,” he said.

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