The Southern Africa Stainless Steel Development Association (Sassda) has launched a bursary scheme to tackle the desperate shortage of artisans in South Africa and is currently sourcing funding from Sector Education Training Authorities and foreign agencies.

“The best applicants will be selected and be awarded performance-linked bursaries for the duration of their studies,” explains Sampie van Rooyen, the chairman of Sassda, “We hope this will make a difference in the lives of entrants and have a significant impact on growing the talent in this country.”

According to the latest figures released by the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) in their Annual Report for 2008, 50 000 artisans need to be trained by 2010 to meet the skills shortfall.

Sassda’s bursaries will be provided to students who are either studying or looking to study in Artisan Training Programmes:

Welders

Boilermakers

Sheet Metal Workers

Electricians

Fitters and Turners

Millwrights

Five bursars will be selected from Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, totalling 20 bursars. The first intake will be in June 2009 and further intakes will be in January and June 2010.

Bursars will attend accredited Public Further Education Training (FET) Colleges to obtain a National Certificate in either Fitting and Machining or Engineering and Related Design.  These qualifications are recognised as part of the new National Certificate Vocational (NCV) programme.