Sibaya Community Trust project

The Chief Albert Luthuli Skills Centre in the Shakaville township of KwaDukuza today (11 December 2017) celebrated the achievement of a 100% competency result by its first intake of students. The 350 students, who all came to the centre unemployed, have been equipped with critical technical skills which will enable them to seek gainful employment, primarily in the construction sector. Already, thanks to a job and skills linkage programme to which they are all registered, 60% of the students have been employed.

The R7-million Chief Albert Luthuli Skills Centre was established in February this year through a strategic partnership between the Sibaya Community Trust, which was the chief funder, the KwaDukuza Municipality, and Certified Workforce Trainers. It serves to train about 350 students annually, primarily in construction skills, at no cost to the students. Management of the project is jointly undertaken by the Sibaya Community Trust, the Directors of Chief Albert Luthuli Trust NPC and the KwaDukuza Municipality.

Vivian Reddy, Chairman of Sibaya, says: “It is an auspicious milestone that we celebrate; the successful graduation of the first students from the Chief Albert Luthuli Skills Centre. In its first year, the centre has successfully achieved its objective of providing high quality training, which is relevant, effective and accelerates employability. This bodes well for the future.

“The Sibaya Community Trust is exceptionally proud to be associated with this project and to have directly contributed to the achievements of the first students. The Chief Albert Luthuli Skills Centre is in essence a powerful project that represents a successful Public-Private-Partnership. It has the noble objective of providing opportunities for unemployed youths, school-leavers and matriculants in one of the most impoverished regions of the country

Deputy Mayor of KwaDukuza, Councillor Dolly Govender noted “Education and skills development are key to addressing poverty and unemployment in our community because when people are empowered with skills that enable them to become active contributors to the economy and generate an income for themselves, it helps to stop the cycle of marginalization of under skilled youth and poverty that results.”  

The training programmes include formal training and workplace experience; formative and summative assessments, internal moderation by trainers, and external moderation by the relevant SETAs, including the MerSeta, MICT Seta and CETA Seta.

According to Mrs Asheka Sivnath of CWT, the centre has received constructive and positive feedback from employers in the region regarding its learner’s development and functional abilities in the workplace. It is encouraging that learners are especially proud to be part of the establishment and enjoy the overall development facilitated by the Centre.

All learners have been found to be competent through this external verification process. The learners that are currently completing their learning programmes will also follow the same process, and after verification is conducted, a 95% and higher competency result for these learners is anticipated.

Sibaya Community Trust Chairman Mr Tristan Kaatze said the initiative was much-needed: "It is imperative that the poor get opportunities to acquire skills and this project provides just this. Importantly, it also serves to link students with potential employers, thereby ensuring that they are able to find gainful work relevant to their skills.”

Mr Kaatze said the Trust had thus far invested R43.3-million in KwaDukuza since 2008. This is part of the Trust’s R150-million investment in Community Social Investment projects province wide.

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