In 2020, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, articulated a vision for SMART Skills Centres to be established in all parts of the country.
The SMART Skills Centres were planned to usher in a new era of skills development and training that would be located within rural communities and able to offer digitized training programmes for rural masses.
The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA), a SETA which reports to Nzimande, has become the first to make the new vision a reality by unveiling the CHIETA SMART Skills Centre in Saldanha Bay on 25 October 2022.
The aim of the R3 million centre is to bridge the digital skills divide and accelerate the development of basic digital skills for a future-fit workplace.
The historic launch of the CHIETA SMART Skills Centre follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, less than a year ago, with the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ) Licensing Company Soc Ltd.
The project is the culmination of a partnership between CHIETA, the IDZ, the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA), and the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA).
The CHIETA SMART Skills Centre is but one of nine SMART centres that will be developed across the country by CHIETA. The centre’s services are free and include access to data and training courses aimed at job seekers, business start-ups and small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) that wish to grow their operations. The centre is fully automated and features equipment which is in line with 4IR training requirements.
According to the minister, CHIETA and the Freeport Saldanha IDZ recognised the need to develop digital readiness through technology-enabled learning programmes like virtual and augmented reality, robotics and the Internet of Things, among others.
“I congratulate CHIETA’s visionary leadership for conceiving the idea of such a centre and for locating it with the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone,” said the minister, adding that the centre will increase the number of sustainable businesses and available talent, ensuring that the Saldanha Bay economy grows by providing relevant, technology-driven services whilst meeting the needs of the Saldanha Bay IDZ investors, workforce, supply chain demand and industry.
“The CHIETA Smart Skills Centre is a game-changer in skills development and training. Rural communities will now have access to free data and Wi-Fi services as well as basic digital skills and 4IR-related training thereby ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital skills revolution,” says Yershen Pillay, CEO of CHIETA.
“What makes the centre unique is its accessibility to rural communities and the virtual-reality or VR-based training for artisans. The SMART centre will include a digital boardroom for SMMEs and cooperatives to conduct meetings with potential clients. The centre will also offer skills programmes in the areas of 5G cellular networking, data analytics, technopreneurship, Java programming and cybersecurity. CHIETA has committed to enrolling 50 000 learners for digital skills programmes through its Saldanha Bay SMART Skills Centre by March 2025. This will ensure that people are equipped with the necessary skills to excel in the workplace,” comments Pillay.
Commenting on the partnership, NEMISA CEO, Trevor Rammitlwa says that the institute will provide access to its digital technology courses, including digital literacy, through the SMART Skills Centre. These will be made available through the NEMISA Microsoft platform, the Coursera Platform and the NEMISA LMS at the centre.
These platforms will offer more than 3 000 courses that learners can choose from. The courses can be accessed online from the centre and NEMISA will also avail its training facilitators for face-to-face classes. The organisation will showcase these learning platforms at the launch of the centre, says Rammitlwa.
MICT SETA CEO Matome Madibana says: “The decision to collaborate on digital transformation initiatives and implement cross-sectoral skills development initiatives, responsive to the fourth industrial revolution, is part of the MICT SETA’s drive to massify digital skills and is in line with our mandate to grow the pool of future skills in the country.
“The thirty-five (35) 4IR occupationally directed qualifications have been developed by the MICT SETA to address skills shortages in various streams, including: cybersecurity, Java Script, 5G, technopreneur, the Internet of Things, software development, cloud computing, design thinking, artificial intelligence and robotic processing automation among others.”
“CHIETA’s aim is to increase the number of sustainable businesses and available talent, ensuring the economy grows by providing relevant, technology-driven services whilst meeting the needs of the SBIDZ investors, workforce, supply chain demands and industry,” concludes Pillay.
“The Centre is an exemplar in the pursuit of excellence in tech education, research and development towards high calibre solutions and the generation of business that find opportunities to drive innovation as part of Saldanha Bay’s socio-economic development,” says Kaashifah Beukes, CEO of Freeport Saldanha IDZ.
The SMART Centre concept also dovetails with the skills development efforts of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), which is mandated to promote and monitor the national skills development strategy. The Department is also responsible for developing and implementing appropriate legislation and policies for a sustained quality and accessible post-school education and training system.
The CHIETA centre was officially opened by Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande who delivered a keynote address at the event.