African Fusion March 2017

WorldSkills SA and training

AFRICAN FUSION

March 2017

ollow their success in the SAIW

Youth Welding Challenge in No-

vember last year, Philippus Ter-

blanche, Samukelo Mbambani and

Nonhlanhla Angel Mathebula have again

been demonstrating their welding skills,

this time at the WorldSkills SA competi-

tion held at the Durban ICC from Febru-

ary 14 to 16, 2017.

Terblanche again emerged as the

winner, whichmakes him South Africa’s

candidate for the WorldSkills Interna-

tional Competition in AbuDhabi inOcto-

ber this year. Terblanche is a product of

ArcelorMittal’s training school in Vander-

bijlpark, whichuses a programme based

on the IIW International Welder (IW) cur-

riculum. “SAIW trained Peet Lottering,

ArcelorMittal’swelder trainingmanager,

andwe are assisting the school towards

becoming an SAIW Authorised Training

Body (ATB),” says Nell.

Angel Mathebulawon thealuminium

category and took second place overall

for welding at WorldSkills SA. Mathebula

is one of the immediate successes of the

SAIWFoundation. Shehas sincebeenem-

ployedbyAfroxandput ontoasponsored

African Fusion

talks to SAIW’s Etienne Nell about the WorldSkills SA

Welding competition and the breakthrough progress beingmade in

South Africa with respect to artisan training and trade tests.

Judges evaluate carbon steel pressure vessel projects at a WorldSkills International competition.

WorldSkills SA

and the new

approach to artisan training

career development programme.

Mbambani, who finished second in

the SAIW Youth Challenge last year and

third at WorldSkills SA, is also a product

of ArcelorMittal’swelder training school.

Philippuswill be going to AbuDhabi.

He will now undergo an intensive six-

month training programme specifically

for the competition.

“He will remain at the ArcelorMittal

training school, but he will be focusing

on WorldSkills-type welding projects

that I will be assessing every week,” Nell

tells

African Fusion

“He will also come up to JHB for

a one month intensive aluminium

programme under the supervision of

Aluminium Federation of South Africa’s

(AFSA’s) welding consultant, Eduan Ter-

blanche,” he adds.

WorldsSkills SA was established

about two or three years ago, originally

as one of Merseta’s portfolios. “But it

has now been taken over by the Depart-

ment of Higher Education and Training

(DHET), under thewatchful eye of Depu-

ty Minister Mduduzi Manana,” says Nell.

Our chances in Abu Dhabi? “There

was a huge improvement in the stan-

dards being achieved at the WorldSkills

SA competition this year, because the

candidates received appropriate train-

ing in advance of the competition. Fol-

lowing the SAIW Welding Challenge, the

training supervisors met to discuss the

shortcomings and to establish a training

programme toaddress them. Asa result, I

would say therewas a60% improvement

in the point scores between last year’s

SAIW Welding Challenge and the Febru-

ary WorldSkills SA event,” Nell notes.

With the additional training planned

for Terblanche in preparation for World-

Skills International, Nell is “very confi-

dent that he will return from Abu Dhabi

with a medal of excellence”.

“I would like to thank all of our sup-

porters and sponsors for the SAIWYouth

and Senior Welding Challenges that led

up to this event. And for WorldSkills SA,

special thanks go to Lincoln Electric for

sponsoring the welding bay equipment

and the consumables. They came to

the party 100%, giving us everything we

needed to run the competition success-

fully,” says Nell.