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Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has injected tens of millions of rand into structured women and youth training and development programmes.
This programme entails Youth-In-Training; Graduates-In-Training; Technicians-In-Training; Engineers-In-Training; learnerships and apprentices; amongst others.
TPT has placed a total of 117 apprentices in various terminals across three provinces along South Africa’s coastline at a cost of almost R27m as part of various tailor-made learning programmes that aim to hone their skills to ready them for the job market in the face of a national skills shortage and unprecedented unemployment figures.
Out of the 117 apprentices, 45 of them have been permanently employed within TPT.
The various structured learning programmes include 10 Engineers-In-Training and 34 Young Professionals-In-Training - 12 of whom have been permanently employed.
In addition, a total of R44m has been spent on various training programmes exclusively for women employees.
TPT’s general manager for human resources Vuyo Bahlekazi, said that, because South Africa has tremendous skills backlogs in various fields, especially in niche sectors like maritime, the onus was on TPT to bridge this gap while emancipating disadvantaged groups like women and the youth.
“We have to not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk if we are going to truly transfer skills to the youth and women, if South Africa is going to tackle the various challenges it currently faces in terms of skills shortage and the staggering unemployment rate," she said.
"Our training programmes are also a strategic intervention in terms of turning the tide against certain jobs and roles that were traditionally reserved only for men, for instance, as women are acquiring skills in technical roles like in terminal operations.”
Bahlekazi added that, because TPT was not able to absorb all apprentices permanently into employment, the skills and knowledge they acquire enable them to go to the job market and compete above par than their counterparts for jobs elsewhere within various other sectors.
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