African Fusion

5 / 48

SAIW Member profile: Hydra-Arc
SAIW and SAIW Certification
SAIW President
M Maroga - SAIW President
Board members
JR Williamson - Personal member
T Rice - Personal member
DJ Olivier - Personal member
W Rankin - Personal member
P Viljoen - PEMA
A Koursaris - Personal member
F Buys – Sasol Synfuels
G Joubert - SAISI
J Pieterse - Afrox
J Zinyana - Personal member
L Breckenridge - CEA
A Paterson - University of the Witwatersrand
J Tarboton – SASSDA
SAIW Certification Governing Board
G Joubert - Chairperson, ArcelorMittal
A Koursaris - SAIW
F Buys - SAQCC IPE
S Blake – SAIW
D Olivier - SAQCC CP
R Williamson - Service Industry
P Viljoen - Fabricator’s Board
W Rankin - Velosi
J Zinyana - New Age Welding Solutions
P Bruwer - Sasol Synfuels
M Moraga - Eskom
S Moodly - SAPREF
B Beetge - Sentinel Inspection
SAIW Foundation Board
M Maroga: Chairperson - Eskom
S Blake - SAIW
P Pistorius - University of Pretoria
S Jordaan - Steinmüller
P Venter – ArcelorMittal
J Pieterse- Afrox
Executive director
S Blake
Tel: (011) 298-2101
Fax: (011) 836-6014
Executive secretary
D Kreouzi
Tel: (011) 298-2102
Fax: (011) 836-6014
Finance and administration
manager
M Warmback
Tel: (011) 298-2125
Fax: (011) 836-4132
SAIW and SAIW Certification representatives
Training services manager
S Zichawo
Tel: (011) 298-2148
Fax: (011) 836-4132
Technical services
manager:
A Reid
Tel: (011) 298 2103
Qualificationandcertification
manager
H Potgieter
Tel: (011) 298-2149
Western Cape representative
L Berry
Tel: (021) 555-2535
Fax: (021) 555-2517
SAIW regional representatives
KZN representative
A Meyer
Tel: 083 787-5624
SAIW: S an's comment
2015 has been a year of con-
siderable uncertainty and
change. The economy is not
returning to growth, the industrial
landscape in many places looks
bleak, political uncertainty per-
sists and we are surrounded by
unrest and unhappiness. We all have to adjust our horizons in order
to remain relevant.
With the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ increasing,
South Africa is in a difficult position. We desperately need solutions
that can reduce inequality and poverty in South Africa. In this regard,
I takemy lead fromNelson Mandela, who said: “Education is themost
powerful weapon we can use to change the world.”
The advantaged people of today are those who have benefitted
from good access to education. The disadvantaged have not. As an
education- and training–focused Institute, SAIW has a role to play
in reducing social inequality and addressing the long-term stability
concerns of the country.
A problem that we have in South Africa is that, while a lot has been
done to provide training, the people leaving some courses are not suf-
ficiently skilled to add value to industry.
Although private, SAIW training courses depend on industry accep-
tance, acceptance that demands that we provide skilled people into
the fabrication workplace. This is the ideal model. It means that the
people we train develop relevant skills towards secure employment.
At the same time, industry benefits fromthe competence SAIW-trained
employees bring to the workplace.
Partnershipmodels such as ours, involving training institutes and
the industries they serve, are the logical starting point towards upskill-
ing the country. Training on its own is not enough. A good candidate
froma training school needs to develop skills through good industrial
experience. Both are necessary to develop a well skilled artisan who
will add value to industry and the economy.
At SAIW, we have begun to place renewed emphasis on the quality,
relevance, value and sustainability of all of our training products, so
that we can continue to deliver programmes that can enhance indus-
try’s needs and create employment.
Politicians and government agencies also have a role to play,
however, it is their responsibility to create the environment that will
allow people and industry to succeed.
We are currently on the brink of important project investment
decisions. But have we learned from the past or are we going to allow
history to repeat itself? In the 70s and 80s we built power stations and
refineries, and built up a healthy local skills base. But by the start of
the 2010 era, these skills were completely eroded. We are now looking
at new project choices to rescue the ailing economy. We can choose
between projects that use the skills already developed and those that
will leave skilled people on the unwanted shelf. Will we learn from the
mistakes of the past and choose projects that allow us to continue to
upskill with a view tomaximising local potential? If sowe can drive the
economy and industry into the next upturn, which will come.
And all of us, politicians, government agencies, institutes, indus-
tries and private citizens, need to be doing everything in our power to
support localisation and local businesses. It would be a tragedy if we
again regressed as we did in the 80s and 90s.
May you have a restful break and come back into 2016 invigorated
and ready to face the ongoing challenge.
Sean Blake
3
November 2015 AFRICAN FUSION