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Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship programme for aspiring tool, die and mould makers

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:17

After implementing a highly successful pre-Apprenticeship training programme, the National Tooling Initiative Programme (NTIP) is officially launching the pilot Tool, Die and Mould-Making Apprenticeship phase of the TDM-Powered Programme this month.

The NTIP’s skills intervention programme, branded the “TDM-Powered Programme”, is a collective action by the National Tooling Initiative, the Toolmaking Association of SA, the Department of Trade and Industry, along with education and economic development institutions in the American state of Minnesota, as well as local FET partner colleges.

It aims to directly address the critical shortage of technically skilled people in South Africa’s tooling industry and is being launched in 12 pilot sites around the country, including the South West Gauteng College in Soweto and Ekurhuleni FET College in Springs.

NTIP chief executive, Dirk van Dyk, says South Africa is currently experiencing a critical shortage of technically skilled people in the tooling sector, which negatively impacts the manufacturing industries performance and competitiveness on a global scale.

Van Dyk adds that the TDM Powered Pre-Apprenticeship Orientation Programme laid a solid foundation for the Apprenticeship phase of the TDM Powered Programme, which is due to kick off in 2011.

In fact, all students that completed the pre-apprenticeship programme this year obtained placements in companies for the “On the Job training” phase of the pre-apprenticeship programme.

“We are confident that the programme, which aims to prepare and empower students and industry incumbents for further training to qualify as artisans or engineers, will directly tackle the skills shortage problem in our country.” says van Dyk

Van Dyk states that the Tooling Manufacturing Industry encourages creativity and analytical thinking. For these reasons, individuals who want a career that is meaningful, exciting and rewarding should consider the Tooling Manufacturing Industry. Whether a person’s interest lies in production, engineering or design there will be plenty of demand in coming years for qualified men and women.

Interested students and incumbents already in the industry with mathematics, science and English on Grade 12 level can contact the TDM Powered office at 078-816-3970 or email info@tdmpowered.co.za to apply. The closing date for applications is 15 November 2010.

The National Tooling Initiative (NTI) is an initiative that has, as a national objective, the rehabilitation of the South African Tool, Die and Mould Making (TDM) industry and thereby contributing as a strategic growth stimulator for Manufacturing and Technical skills development.

The NTI has been developed as a national, multi-stakeholder initiative and structured as a Public Private Partnership (PPP), working with the Department of Trade and Industry.

TASA (Toolmaking Association of South Africa) has played a founding role in the establishment of the NTI. A subsidiary of TASA, NTIP (Pty) Ltd was founded and is acting as the Management and Delivery Agency for the NTI. For more information www.ntipweb.co.za.