*Please note: Picture taken before lockdown
GreenCape, funded by the City of Cape Town’s Department of Enterprise and Investment, provides technical training and capacity development in green economy-related skill sets in Atlantis. This aligns with the Department’s promotion of sector specific skills development, training and placement.
Towards this end, GreenCape recently partnered with the Lesedi Skills Academy, a technical training provider based in Atlantis, to provide short artisanal courses in boiler-making, basic welding, and mechanical fitting.
These practical classes allow students to engage with specialised tools and learn safety at work, which are essential skills for all technical industries. The course is an entry-level sampler for youth to explore these fields with the hope that they will explore future opportunities and see the green economy as a valid career path.
The programme recruited 160 Atlantis youth who are currently unemployed, of which 89 have already completed the course (the programme has been paused due to COVID-19 lockdown). Each class completes a metal project over the 5-day course; the mechanical fitters design and build a metal finger clamp, the boilermakers make their own metal dustpans and the welders build their own braai grids.
Welders group – Lesedi skills training
Through these projects and under the guidance of experienced artisan-trainers, the students learn theory and practical skills that they can apply to a wide range of roles.
Having participated in this programme, these job-seekers are also included in the ASEZ opportunity database for possible future interventions.
Background:
The Atlantis Special Economic Zone for Green Technologies (ASEZ) has the potential to unlock and create opportunities for the Atlantis community within the green economy. Community involvement in the Atlantis SEZ has been a continued priority of the operating entities since the ASEZ designation.
GreenCape conducted a skills audit of the Atlantis community to identify skill gaps in 2019. The findings of that audit informed the direction of current skills development interventions. The Atlantis community benefits from these opportunities by being more prepared for potential employment opportunities.
