The Westown Foundation, in collaboration with Stefanutti Stocks Academy, recently launched the 2 700 m2 Westown Training Centre on the site of the new city of the west, Westown Shongweni. The Westown Foundation with a focus on skills development, education and literacy, has been set up to foster the sustainable participation of the greater Shongweni community, in the socio-economic and environmental opportunities that the development of Westown will create. The new centre was officially opened by eThekwini Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.
SEAN BERGSMA – Chairman of the Westown Foundation
“Seeing an initiative like the Westown Training Centre being set-up and operating is a positive sign of things to come and sets the tone for way we do things at Westown.
The new city of the west is set to trigger development, investment and growth opportunities throughout the local region, opportunities that will be amplified through the Westown Foundation and its partners to enable the sustainable participation of the greater Shongweni community.
The launch of the Westown Training Centre, sees the roll-out of two key book-end projects for the Westown Foundation – education at the one end and job creation at the other. In addition to the our training centre we are officially opening today, we will also be working with The LEARN Project to install Book Corners (reading spaces) in a primary school in each of the two wards in which Westown is located.
The Westown Foundation’s journey begins today and will continue for years to come, ensuring a meaningful and lasting impact in the Outer West and KwaZulu Natal as a whole.
MATTHEW HORWILL - Managing Director of Stefanutti Stocks Coastal.
“We are extremely honoured to partner with the Westown Foundation in this fantastic Westown Training Centre initiative. Stefanutti Stocks has officially been developing and offering internal industry best-practice training since 2010 with the aim of:
- extending the legacy we leave behind in the communities we work in to more than the structures we build, but also the future employability of the people in these communities, and;
- ensuring all the employees on our sites are equipped with the basic skills and knowledge to deliver the projects we build to the quality, cost, time and safety standards we and our clients expect.
Since February of this year, with the proud introduction of the Stefanutti Stocks Academy, we have been able to offer CETA-accredited Plant Operator training an accredited Apprenticeship Programme, as well as cater to skills training requirements specific to the needs of our Group.
The academy’s courses and training manuals have been developed and are presented by our in-house registered facilitators, assessors, and moderators. These subject matter experts structure the training to address potential learning barriers, such as literacy, by using visual aids, text and multiple languages to ensure proper understanding and retention of the content.
The Stefanutti Stocks Academy simulator training immerses the participants in a ‘virtual real life’ training environment. The simulator allows state-of-the-art skills development and certification, whilst maintaining the safety and security of people and equipment.
Where possible, we offer development opportunities to individuals from the community even if they cannot be employed directly on the projects we are executing. For example, our operator training will create capacity far beyond the requirements of both Westown Square and the upgrade of Kassier Road, thus contributing to a provincial pool of accredited, local construction plant operators that are able to offer an accredited skill when seeking employment on other developments and construction sites across the province.
In closing, the opening of the Westown Training Centre signals the creation of lasting opportunity within the community that this fantastic development is being built. This would not be possible without the passion and dedication of all those here today. As Stefanutti Stocks, we are incredibly excited to play a part in this.”
CARLOS CORREIA - CEO Fundamentum Dev Co.
“The development of Westown has given us the opportunity to do things differently, starting with the partnerships forged between ourselves and the eThekwini Municipality and Stefanutti Stocks.
From the outset the focus has been on making it possible for all the people of the area to be part of the new city of the west and not a-part-from-it, not only bringing socio-economic value to the area but also encouraging social integration, participation and ownership of this new place called Westown.
The Westown Training Centre is one of the first tangible ways we can deliver this vision. So today, we as the developers of Westown want to say thank you to the City and Stefanutti Stocks and our other partners who will soon come to the fore, for helping to craft this vision with us and for committing to its long-term roll out.”