The Mpumalanga Provincial Government appointed MRTT to offer training for rural community members in construction related programmes within seven Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) sites in the Province. The identified sites are mainly those municipalities which are regarded as the most rural and poorest in terms of education and unemployment. These site selected are located in the following municipalities:

• Mkhondo local municipality
• Dr JS Moroka local municipality
• Chief Albert Luthul local municipality
• Nkomazi local municipality
• Thembisile Hani local municipality
• Bushbuckridge local municipality
• Pixley ka Seme local municipality

Training started in April 2011 and is still on-going on an annual basis. The training was divided into two phases:

• Phase 1: Off-job training of which the process took 4 months to be completed.
• Phase 11: On-job training (work-place training) which will also take 4 months to be completed.

The skills programmes that are offered included the following:

• Bricklaying, Plastering & Tiling
• Painting & Carpentry
• Plumbing & Electrical.

SELECTION OF BENEFICIARIES:

Beneficiaries of the project are identified by Councillors from the affected areas without making use of any selection criteria. This process used by Local Councillors turned to be most a very challenging exercise as it created problems throughout the duration of the training. Despite any discrepancy, each benefitting municipality nominated 90 learners to go through the programme. Each skills trade would cater 15 learners facilitated by one facilitator/ practitioner.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON CRDP THE PROJECT

The Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) is aimed at being an effective response against poverty and food insecurity by maximising the use and management of natural resources to create vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities. A CRDP must improve the standards of living and welfare but also rectify past injustices through rights –based interventions and address skewed patterns of distribution and ownership of wealth and assets. The strategic objective of the CRDP is therefore to facilitate integrated development and social cohesion through participatory approaches in partnership with all sectors of society.
The vision of the CRDP is to create vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities which include the following: contributing to the redistribution of 30% of the country’s agricultural land; improving food security of the rural poor; creation of business opportunities, de-congesting and rehabilitation of over-crowded former homeland areas; and expanding opportunities for women, youth, people with disabilities and older persons who stay in rural areas.

The ultimate vision of creating vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities will be achieved through a three-pronged strategy based on:

• A coordinated and integrated broad-based agrarian transformation;
• Strategically increasing rural development; and
• An improved land reform programme.

Based on this background, the Mpumalanga Provincial Government instructed all government departments to participate in the national cry for implementation of the CRDP. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARDLA) was mandated as a Lead Department for this programme. Other role-players include the private sector; the farming community, institutions such as MEGA, MRTT, NGOs, CBOs, Traditional Authorities and any other structures that have interest in uplifting the standard of living of rural communities.

Learners at the training centres have access to three or four class rooms at each centre where they receive theoretical instruction. The class rooms vary in size and from centre to centre, but can accommodate between 20 to 50 learners each.

The workshops are equipped with workstations, work benches, industrial equipment used in the relevant trades, tools and equipment for appropriate experiential learning, tool rooms and material store rooms. Learners are not only taught to conduct their respective trades but also to practice actual application thereof in the various workshops.
The facilities at all four training centres are fully utilised and each campus is able to carry more learners. The MRTT conducts about 20% of its total training on campus in the four training centres while 80% of the training is conducted through off site project based training where training is taken into remote and rural areas.
The MRTT Hospitality and Tourism Academy in Nelspruit also runs at full capacity and takes on 130 full-time learners per annum. However, it has further capacity to accommodate another 40 learners on short skills programmes offered in food and beverage preparation and professional cookery. This hotel school is connected to a 3 star hotel where learners undergo relevant experiential training.

MRTT ACCREDITED TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES
MRTT is offering Full Qualification and Skills Programmes under the following ETQA Accreditation Certificates:
CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION AND TRAINING AUTHORITY (CETA

• National Certificate: Community house building NQF level 2
• National Certificate: Building and civil construction NQF level 3
• Further Education and training certificate: Plumbing NQF level 4

MANUFACTURING, ENGINEERING AND RELATED SERVICES (MerSETA)

• National Certificate: Automotive repair and maintenance NQF level 2
• National Certificate: Engineering Fabrication NQF level 2
• Further Education and training certificate: Engineering Fabrication NQF level 4
• National Certificate: Engineering Fabrication NQF level 3
• National Certificate: Automotive repairs and maintenance NQF level 3
• Further Education and training certificate: Automotive repairs and maintenance NQF level 4
• National certificate in welding application and practice NQF level 2
• National certificate in welding application and practice NQF level 3
• Further Education and training certificate: Welding application and practice NQF level 4

MerSETA APPRENTICESHIP ACCREDITATION: TRADE

• Boilermaker
• Motor Mechanic
• Automotive Body Repairer
• Electrician
• Welder

The Corporate head office is situated in Witbank , Mpumalanga and the MRTT operates the following five training centres:

• Emalahleni Training Centre in Witbank at the seat of its corporate head office
• Ekandustria Training Centre near Bronkhorstspruit
• Kabokweni Training Centre in Kabokweni near White River
• MRTT Hospitality and Tourism Academy in Nelspruit

CENTRES TRAINING APPROACH

Learners at the training centres have access to three or four class rooms at each centre where they receive theoretical instruction.  The class rooms vary in size and from centre to centre, but can accommodate between 20 to 50 learners each.

The workshops are equipped with workstations, work benches, industrial equipment used in the relevant trades, tools and equipment for appropriate experiential learning, tool rooms and material store rooms.  Learners are not only taught to conduct their respective trades but also to practice actual application thereof in the various workshops.

The facilities at all four training centres are fully utilised and each campus is able to carry more learners.

The MRTT conducts about 20% of its total training on campus in the four training centres while 80% of the training is conducted through off site project based training where training is taken into remote and rural areas.

The MRTT Hospitality and Tourism Academy in Nelspruit also runs at full capacity and takes on 130 full-time learners per annum.  However, it has further capacity to accommodate another 40 learners on short skills programmes offered in food and beverage preparation and professional cookery.  This hotel school is connected to a 3 star hotel where learners undergo relevant experiential training.

While most of the training is provided on campus, the MRTT is also geared to provide off-site training at accredited workshops and through its mobile workshops which travel to remote areas and enable members of local communities to access skills development interventions close to their homes.

The MRTT is willing and able to design courses based on unit standards and outcomes to meet specific client needs. The institution is also able to enter into a memorandum of understanding with other accredited training providers to cover a wider scope of training.