Mercedes-Benz South Africa to Address Skills Gap
- R130m invested jointly
- Artisans trained for local industry to increase
PRETORIA – Mercedes-Benz South Africa and National Treasury, through its Jobs Fund, have formed a partnership in a unique job creation initiative through the construction of a new Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy in East London.
The partnership was formalised through the signing of a grant agreement and entails an investment of R130m, co-funded by the Jobs Fund and Mercedes-Benz South Africa, to transform the existing Technical Training Centre at the Mercedes-Benz South Africa East London plant into a Learning Academy that will address the training demands of the plant and other local industries.
“In the automotive industry education and skills development is of paramount importance in order to keep pace with the massive advances in technology that takes place globally each year. Mercedes-Benz South Africa prioritises skills development of its workforce, but with this cooperation agreement we will be able to actively participate in addressing the skills shortages faced in high-technology industries in the region and even in the country,” says Arno van der Merwe, CEO and Executive Director for Manufacturing for Mercedes-Benz South Africa.
For the past 30 years MBSA has been dependent on its Technical Training Centre as a feeder of artisan skills to maintain the plant. In recent years the rapid advancement of technologies has placed enormous training demands on both the plant and industry in the region and nationally (including automotive suppliers), exposing a widening gap of technical training expertise.
The new Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy will strive to close this gap in two ways:
- By offering training and qualification on many of the new technologies now faced by industry (specifically robotics and automation solutions).
- Expanding the throughput of artisans such that the facility is able to qualify enough skilled artisans to support the broader East London community and not only the MBSA plant.
Furthermore, the Learning Academy will also offer training and development for shopfloor workers in the manufacturing environment – primarily aimed at unemployed school leavers and preparing them for the working world.
A new building will be constructed on the same site as the existing Technical Training Centre which will also undergo some renovations to accommodate larger volumes of learners. The combination will form the basis of the Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy, which is ideally situated along a main public road and directly opposite the assembly plant.
Construction of the facility commenced on the 11th of August 2014 and will be finished in the middle of the year, with the opening ceremony scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2015. Mercedes-Benz South Africa will contribute, as part of its investment, through the provision of the relevant equipment for the centre – including a robotics reference cell for training.
The current training staff complement of the Technical Training Centre will be expanded accordingly for the Learning Academy. Also the number of trades that can currently be facilitated by the accredited Trade Test centre at the Technical Training Centre, will also increase to include all the major trades – automotive electrician, electrician, millwright, fitter and turner, motor mechanic and mechatronics.
Once the Learning Academy is established, a business model will be adopted to ensure affordable and sustainable support for local industries in future years.
“We are looking forward to the impact that this facility will have on the broader Buffalo City community as it will support local industries with much needed skills and will offer much-needed development opportunities to unemployed youth in the region,” says Johann Evertse, Executive Director for Human Resources, Mercedes-Benz South Africa.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa is the biggest private employer in East London and this investment will greatly assist the region’s ability to attract additional investors into the city, thereby strengthening the economy of the province.
