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Cape Town - Novus Holdings, previously known as the Paarl Media Group and a market leader in South Africa's print industry, showed its commitment to artisan development by clinching a prestigious training award in Pretoria.
The group's training facility Novus Academy won the Gold award in the Best Artisan Development Programme, small to medium enterprise category at the National Skills Development Awards gala on Thursday evening.
Noting the shortage of specialised skills in the marketplace, Novus Holdings established its academy in 2011, which has since grown into a world-class facility dedicated to providing the most advanced training programmes aligned to international curricula.
The Novus Academy's apprenticeship programmes offer successful applicants an opportunity to earn an income while working towards an internationally certified trade qualification.
"For us this achievement is a result of great team effort as each and every person that has been supporting the Novus Academy and its work, including our apprentices, learners and employees, have all contributed to our success,” said Novus Holdings executive head of human resources Nico Grobbelaar.
The awards formed part of the National Skills Conference, which brings together key players within the post-school education and training system across many sectors to convene with the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande.
Speaking at the conference on Friday, Nzimande assured participants of government's commitment to skills development and training targeted specifically at the previously disadvantaged community. He confirmed a R15bn financial commitment to enable about 200 000 students to study at technical vocational education and training colleges.
At the same event, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said it is important to enable young people to be active in building a prosperous, equitable and just society. This entails putting skills development at the centre of the national agenda. He underlined that cooperation in the post-school system is fundamental between learning institutions, students and the business sector.
Novus Holdings is a subsidiary of Media24.
The Novus Academy award comes hard on the heels of Media24's extraordinary achievement in winning 18 awards at the 2017 IAB Bookmark Awards, including the coveted Best Publisher Award, confirming the group's leading position in the marketplace.
Novus' share price held steady at R8.85 on the JSE on Friday at around 11:30.
* Fin24 is part of 24.com, a subsidiary of Media24.
