Earlier this year, Nkangala TVET College and RES4Africa Foundation successfully completed the Orientation Day for the Re-skilling Lab held in Emalahleni, in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The event brought together 10 lecturers from Nkangala TVET College previously capacitated through the Re-skilling Lab ‘training of trainers’, and lecturers from Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni TVET colleges, providing them with the tools and knowledge to promote career opportunities in the renewable energy sector to their students.
The Re-skilling Lab’s Orientation Day for its ‘training of trainers’ brought together lecturers from Mpumalanga’s Nkangala, Gert Sibande and Ehlanzeni TVET Colleges.
South Africa, Africa's largest electricity market, derives 77% of its energy from coal, which is being affected by supply shortages, rising prices, and declining energy intensity. To address these concerns and migrate to a renewables-based economy, the country has set objectives for the development of renewable energy capacity. However, increasing the use of renewable resources brings with it significant socio-economic challenges, including the skills gap in the workforce. RES4Africa Foundation created the Re-skilling Lab to address this concern in South Africa’s coal communities.
At the Orientation Day, the objectives of the Re-skilling Lab and its achievements to date were presented to the lecturers attending from Nkangala, Gert Sibande, and Ehlanzeni TVET Colleges. The outcomes of the recently completed training of trainers were also presented and the 10 Nkangala TVET College lecturers were awarded certificates, confirming their contribution to the Lab's objectives. The certificates included:
- The Energy Performance Practitioner Certificate - Resolution Circle
- Solar PV Rooftop Installer - MSC Artisan Academy
- Train the Trainer - MSC Artisan Academy.
Additionally, industry representatives from SAPVIA, SAWEA, Enel Green Power, and Nordex Acciona set out some of the main opportunities in the renewable energy sector which the lecturers can share with their students.
The Orientation Day also provided the occasion to present progress in Nkangala TVET's workshop. With a donation of infrastructure from RES4Africa, the college has fortified its capacity to deliver training in renewables on a permanent basis in the province. The new equipment includes two inverter systems with photovoltaic panels and batteries, a small wind turbine, and a solar pump. Nkangala TVET College is now equipped to issue formal certificates to students undergoing training, accredited by EWSETA, QCTO, and SAPVIA.
With the Orientation Day completed, the Re-skilling Lab embarked on its next phase. This started in June with the Nkangala lecturers delivering the first set of training activities, under the guidance of Resolution Circle and MSC. An initial group of 25 TVET students have begun their comprehensive training journey, spanning 18 to 24 months, with a 6-month internship at a renewable energy company from the RES4Africa network.
Roberto Vigotti, RES4Africa’s Secretary General, commented: "The Re-skilling Lab is not just about acquiring skills; it is about boosting the energy transition with an invaluable resource: human skills and intuition. By empowering educators and nurturing the talents of our youth, we are sowing the seeds of a more sustainable future, in South Africa and across the African continent."
Simphiwe Mzimela, Trade Test Acting Centre Manager at the Nkangala TVET College, emphasised how Investing In local skills is the solution to overcoming poverty, providing job opportunities and over time, boosting the country’s economic revival.
For more information visit: https://res4africa.org/