FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES IN RUNNING A LEARNERSHIP

By: Susan van Heerden &

Riekie Delport

INTRODUCTION

Education is the great engine of personal development

It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor; that the son of a mineworker can become the president of a great nation.

It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.

Nelson Mandela – Former President of South Africa

WATER – THE ESSENCE OF LIFESA blessed in many ways, but alas

not with water,

Without water, no life could survive on our planet.

WATER – THE ESSENCE OF LIFE

We are running short of water because of:

•Climate•Many more people needing

more water•Pollution

•Waste•Control

WATER, OUR MISSION, OUR PASSION

Essence of life

BACKGROUND OF SILULUMANZI

• Nelspruit City Council decided to involve a private sector service provider in 1997

• Nelspruit Concession Agreement signed on 21 April 1999

• Commenced 01 November 1999

• Nelspruit City Council became Mbombela Local Municipality in 2001

• Opportunity for classification and re-registration of plants & operators

• Recoginised growing demand to comply to Schedule IV of the Water Act

• Train Operators to become process controllers

• Concession Agreement vs Council monitoring

Legislation

THE WATER ACT VS TRAININGAT SILULUMANZI

• MLM mandate to Silulumanzi

• To ensure equipped, competent staff who are responsible to maintain water and sewage plants as per legislation and SANS standards

HOW DID WE START THE PROCESS (1)

Mandate by MLM

Complete plant and operator’s re-registration and classification as per legislation

Sourced for a professional experienced person to lead and transform process

A task bigger than realised Time consuming – dead ends everywhere

HOW DID WE START THE PROCESS (2)

FINALLYSusan van Heerden - Neochem Water

Treatment Specialists

Lengthy process started to gather information

Final data submitted to DWAF

Classifications and registration certificates received

RESULTS

Lack of the necessary skilled operating staff

Qualifications insufficient

CHANGE

Plant Supervisors to Process Supervisors

Plant Operators to Process Controllers

SCHEDULE IVMINIMUM CLASS OF PROCESS CONROLLER REQUIRED PER SHIFT, AND SUPERVISION, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SERVICES REQUIREMENT AT A WATERWORK

WORKS CLASS CLASS OF OPERATOR

PER SHIFT

SUPERVISION* OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SERVICES REQUIREMENTS

E Class I Class V* These personnel must be available at all times but may be in-house or outsourced

D Class 11 Class V* - Electrician

C Class III Class V* - Fitter

B Class IV Class V - Instrumentation technician

A Class IV Class V

SCHEDULE IV

NOTES FOR SCHEDULES IV• *does not have to be at the works at all times but

must be available at all times. • If the owner of a waterwork has no person of this

class employed at that work, a• Contractor / consultant with the required

qualifications as prescribed in Schedule III in • Respect of that particular class of persons, shall

be appointed to visit the work weekly.

• Upgrade plant personnel to correct levels as per legislation

• Negotiations with employees / Unions

• Collecting information to implement the

correct NQF Water & Sewage training

REPORT BACK TO MANAGEMENT

DECISIONS!!!

• Experience – previous Learnerships

• Cost analysis

• Funding

• Provision of study material researched

• Equipment

MANAGEMENT APPROVED!

• Cost implications!!!!

• Learnership

• ESETA contacted who directed us accordingly

ADMINISTRATION

• Declaration of Intent completed & submitted – ESETA

• Approved

• Contracts signed with all parties involved

RESULTS

LEARNERSHIP STARTED

CERTIFICATE FOR WATER & SEWAGE PURIFICATION AND PROCESS

OPERATIONS NQF 2

• 30 Water purification learners

• 21 Sewage purification learners

REALITY STRUCK

• 2 headless chickens with a mission and vision - upsetting the carts of the organisation

• no one could interfere with our excitement

• Management awesomely overwhelmed

• Supervisors grumpy – no more comfort

• Structures disrupted

REALITY

• ………excitement not shared by all in company

• …….serious woman persuasion – behind every “successful man”????

• …….. a determined woman!!!

• …….. bend in all directions

OUR GOAL• STAY COOL

• AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL A LIGHT SHONE

• EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO EVERYONE

• BUILD TRUST

People from all groups came together

PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED

• Time tables

• Supervisors

• Management

• Man-hours vs training hours

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

• Bravado goodbye - downhearted

• Self-confidence down the drain

• Fear = can we meet deadlines and expectations?????

RE-EVALUATION

• Blinking star dimmed – but did not disappear

Decision

• Although crippled by this – the will to excel pulled us through

Cool! Cool! Cool!

HOW?MEETING EXPECTATIONS

• Responsibility

towards ESETA

• The Water Academy

• Learners

• Management

• Financial implications

THE SUCCESS STORY (1)

• Placement of different levels

• Growth• Group work

• Trust• Motivation

THE SUCCESS STORY (2)

Coaching & mentoring !!!!!!!

Important to reach our goal – to ensure that other who want to do Learnership

have this in place

THE SUCCESS STORY (3)

• Learner eagerness to attend • Completion of Portfolio of Evidence• Peer competition• Posters• Experiments• Group work

THE SUCCESS STORY (4)

• Tests

• Practical

• Learner’s demands

• Pride

• Recognition

• Logistics

THE SUCCESS STORY (5)

• Buy-in

• Will-power to achieve and excel

• Self-confidence

• Comfort-zone

THE SUCCESS STORY (6)

• Supervisors involvement• Sharing• Recognizing personal

shortcomings• Initiative to change• Job growth

THE SUCCESS STORY (7)

• Relationship with facilitator

• Letters from learners

• Fun and laughter

• Sharing grief

Personal gain

• Hair loss – but rewarding results

• Vocabulary ?.!@f?@@@...&&

• Personal growth

• Totally drained – but expectations fulfilled

ANOTHER ONE ????

YES!

YES!

YES!