Industry academia co-operation for skills development

1. Industry academia co-operation for skills development Presented by Mookgo Mthombeni

2. Format of the presentation • SW Background • Introduction • Recruitment and Employment processes • Benefits of the program • Future plans • Conclusion

3. SW Background • Started 1997, rationalization of Water boards • give job experience as req by tertiary institution curriculum • render social responsibility to communities • Create a pool for qualified & experienced individuals • Promote skills development aim at supporting EE • 3 parties got into a traineeship contract & work program agreement • Program structured – satisfy operational req as well as academic institution • Aim of co-operation – deliver competent employees thru skills & intimate knowledge of the field

4. Introduction • Formal approach,assist process of education and training & upliftment in general • To ensure skills development is promoted & maintained in its operation & area of supply – employees, students, qualified & non-qualified are assisted with exp training thru mentorship programs. • Programs currently running: • Learnership (non-qualified) • In Service training (qualified) • Skills development (employees taken for short courses) • Work shadow (Grade 11)

5. Recruitment and Employment processes • Students recruited,existing structures within academic institutions • For Exp training – submit CV • For Masters candidates – letters are sent to University • Successful,offered traineeship at SW • Contract: drawn and signed, • Separate agreement: signed by SW & student reps, detail student work & other training commitments

6. Benefits of the Program Students: • Benefits: exposure to teamwork, further personal development & qualification • Teamwork; development of critical thinking & problem solving skills • On practical level: • On the job training; financial support, presentation sessions, research environment, industry experts, other treatment plants (clients & potential employers),

7. Benefits of the Program (continued) Tertiary Institutions: • Elevates training from lab scale to plant scale level • Opportunity to follow additional skills development courses such as safety, fire fighting etc.. • Better understanding,value & application of the study material • Identify practical problems in industry that require detailed investigation to utilize as topics for research for final year study

8. Benefits of the program (continued) Industry: • Opportunity to have input in the development & training of its future employees • exposure to potential employees on a trial basis • facilitates assisted focused research by experts in Academia on problems specific to the industry player • Assign learners to specific problems provides an opportunity to assign manpower with advanced learning, at reasonable cost

9. Future Plans/Proposal • Proposal to introduce two-year Mentorship Program, to be presented to ECF forum. • Potential employees/graduates taken thru two year training & allocated Mentors/Coaches (scarce skills) • Mentoring to be provided by industry experts • Aim to give guide into in depth industry dynamics • Trainees meet after 1st year (annual conference) - platform for freedom of expression, to share experience & knowledge at different plants within SW regions.

10. Conclusion • Results impressive, few graduates trained • Tertiary involved: VUT, TUT, UN, NW,Unisa,Pen Tech, Stellenbosch & Pretoria University. • Importance training & dev of future employees cant be under estimated • Experience proved, students entering the labour market not equipped to & capable of applying theoretical knowledge in practice. • A win-win, every partner in collaboration reaps benefits, joint effort & contributes to economic, social and intellectual upliftment.

11. Thank you