MQA to uplift Sekhukhune TVET Skills Development Centre
Groblersdal
The Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), has on Friday 27 January, paid homage to the new Sekhukhune TVET College Skill Development Centre in Groblersdal with its skills transfer programme.
The aim of the visit was to boost the college’s Wholesale and Retail SETA, as part of the organisations’ ongoing efforts to support community-based initiatives, such as the development of a skills centre in the area.
Representatives from various mining companies including Two Rivers, Northam Boysendal, Implats and other stakeholders such as Office of the Premier, delegation from Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM) as well as the Bapedi Kingdom, were also represented.
The project of the Sekhukhune TVET College Skills Development Centre was unleashed by then Minister of Department of Higher Training and Training (DHET) in October 2021.
A total of R131 Million was set aside for the project, which is expected to be completed in 2025.
The newly inaugurated CEO of the MQA, Dr Thabo Mashegoane, provided an overview regarding MQA’s role in the transfer of skills in the development centre.
Mashegoane said the organization responded to Sekhukhune TVET’s call after noticing challenges such as lack of training facilities to produce artisans in Limpopo, which was identified as one of the problems and a reason for the college’s request for infrastructure support.
“It is for this reason that the MQA is participating in the development of the Sekhukhune TVET College Skills Development Centre, as a response to the call by the college to construct a skills development centre,” he said.
Mashegoane committed that MQA will support the TVET college to complete the highly-important infrastructure that will benefit the Sekhukhune community.
Tom Mkhwanazi, CEO of Wholesale and Retail SETA, provided an overview of how the R131 Million project was initiated, which was anticipated to be completed by 2025.
Mkhwanazi said however, the project is advancing at a rate that is well ahead of schedule and could be completed before the deadline.
After its completion, the skills development facility is expected to produce one of the scare artisan skills in South Africa.
It forms part of SETA’s R240 Million special infrastructure projects in the country for TVET colleges, with the other R109 Million allocated to support newly established community education and training colleges throughout all nine provinces in the country.
