6 / 48
June 2016
News
I
t is a joint venture initiative be-
tween National, Provincial De-
partment of Human Settlements,
eThekwini Municipality and Tongaat
Hulett Development. The multi-
billion rand project set on 1 300 ha is
set to be eThekwini Municipality and
the Province’s largest sustainable in-
tegrated human settlement initiative.
The mixed-use, mixed-income
development incorporates industrial,
commercial and residential space
and will be developed over 25 years,
to become a truly integrated human
settlement.
Several government departments
with Tongaat Hulett Developments,
are upskilling residents of Blackburn
informal settlement in a bid to pro-
vide job opportunities at the nearby
multi billion rand Cornubia estate.
The training course consists of one
month of theoretical and practical
training followed by two months of
work experience.
Blackburn informal settlement
residents are learning the skills they
need to find jobs as bricklayers.
Government has sponsored the
training programme while Tongaat
Hulett Developments provides the
platform for work opportunities.
Training began with a job readi-
ness programme earlier this year.
After learning the theory, the local
community members put their skills
into practice, laying brick walls up to
roof height and making provision for
windows and doors.
Training was provided by Elangeni
TVET College at Tongaat Hulett De-
velopments, Blackburn Estates SSIP
(Socioeconomic Sustainability and
Innovation Programme) Hub, located
at the old Blackburn Primary School.
After completing the training,
delegates receive an NQF Level 2
certificate for the brickwork com-
ponent of the community house
building qualification. This includes
health and safety in the workplace,
excavating, setting out the site, cast-
Cornubia affordable estate on
KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast
embraces partnerships across
various spheres of government
and the private sector.
ing a concrete strip foundation and
providingmasonry work on solid and
hollow units.
C ommu n i t y memb e r s a r e
equipped with protective clothing
and are now set to start their work
experience with local contractors,
who have been commissioned to
build the affordable houses on the
estate. While gainingwork experience
they earn a small stipend.
“Candidates are being prepared
to enter into employment as brick-
layers,” says Joe White, Director of
Catalyx, the implementing partner of
the initiative. “We are in the process of
liaisingwith thedifferent housing con-
tractors to finalise their placements.”
“Bricklaying emerged as one of
the priorities when we workshopped
the different skills that were needed
at the Cornubia Industrial & Business
Estate (CIBE),” says Bongani Gumede,
Corporate Director of Tongaat Hulett
Developments. He added, “We hope
that those learning bricklaying will
first gain experience and then learn
another skill, such as plumbing, so
that eventually they can become fully
fledged contractors.”
Gumede says that the idea is to
bring together as many property
value chain partners such as the con-
tractors, lot purchasers, tenants and
occupiers, training providers and gov-
ernment by pooling resources, both
financial and non-financial.
He adds that the founding part-
ners of the SSIP project in Cornubia
includes the national and KwaZu-
lu-Natal Departments of Human
Settlements providing housing; the
eThekwini Municipality which offers
skills development, placement, busi-
ness support and social services; and
Tongaat Hulett Developments, which
contributes to various SSIP elements.
“This initiative is a fine example
of a public private sector partnership
that is helping to achieve govern-
ment’s skills development objectives
and provide employment,” said Beryl
Mphakathi, Head of eThekwini Mu-
nicipality’s Department of Housing.
■
Cornubia
skills training