PPC’s Sure Academy addressing critical skills shortages in the industry

BhekiMthembu

PPC'S ORIGINS CAN BE TRACED BACK OVER 131 YEARS TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF TSHWANE IN SOUTH AFRICA. ESTABLISHED IN 1892 AS THE FIRST CEMENT MANUFACTURER IN THE COUNTRY, PPC HAS DEMONSTRATED RESILIENCE BY ADAPTING TO AND NAVIGATING CHANGES IN DIVERSE OPERATING ENVIRONMENTS.

Its influence has expanded across sub-Saharan Africa, and it has built a robust portfolio in emerging markets within the region. This diverse portfolio enables PPC to effectively address the dynamic economic, operational, and political landscapes. In a conversation with FUTURE SA, Bheki Mthembu, PPC's Head of Inland Business Unit, sheds light on its endeavours in skills training…

Tell us a bit about the Sure Academy and the rationale for its establishment.

The Sure Academy was established to address the critical skills shortages within the company and the industry at large.

PPC needs a highly motivated, skilled, and productive workforce to execute its strategy and create value for stakeholders. The limited pool of required resources in South Africa and globally simply gets more expensive, the more demand there is for that pool.

PPC’s deliberate strategy to focus on skills development increases the pool of talented and motivated individuals and helps positions PPC globally.

What is the graduate development programme?

The graduate development programme is an important element of the Sure Academy aimed at developing young talent who have just obtained their qualification.

In 2023, PPC onboarded 11 new graduates who joined our existing three graduates in South Africa in the fields of mechanical, chemical, electrical, and mining engineering, chemistry, geology, supply chain, and finance. This is a 24-month development programme aimed at building young talent within the scarce skills of the industry and improving our bench strength.

What is the Technical Skills Centre?

The Sure Academy is proudly associated with the Technical Skills Centre (TSC) whose main focus is on running learnerships and the creation of artisans.

The learnerships facilitated through the TSC include electrical, fitter and turner, millwright, and boilermaker. The Technical Skills Centre is open both to PPC as well as external learners, which includes learners from the Office of the Premier in the Northwest. The TSC is accredited with the QCTO under the DHET umbrella.

Tell us more about accreditation, and how the Sure Academy ties in with CSI/socio-economic development initiatives undertaken by PPC. PPC exists to empower people to experience a better quality of life. We believe in going beyond providing quality building materials by investing in the communities in which we operate.

The Sure Academy exists to live up to this mission. With the shortage of skills we are facing, the academy is aiming to address that. Two of our CSI pillars include skills development and education, which is what the Sure Academy is addressing.

Besides the Sure Academy, PPC is a proudly South African company committed to helping to build the country. Unemployment, and especially youth unemployment, is a huge challenge and it is vital that companies like us do our bit to bridge the skills mismatch that is undermining South Africa’s development, and also help to reduce unemployment levels. PPC launched CETA-accredited courses that include bricklaying, plastering, and construction management. It incorporates both theory and practical instruction. Over 200 bakkie builders from across South Africa have been trained and successfully completed the NQF level 3 (bricklaying and plastering) and 4 (construction management) courses and received South African Qualifications Authority certificates.

It is no secret that South Africa has a critical shortage of qualified artisans, and the country needs at least 60% of school leavers to pursue artisan-type training to meet its demand for scarce skills. What are your thoughts on this?

A qualification is essentially an entry into the workplace and signals certain traits such as commitment to study and the ability to cope with work and social pressures; however, it does not necessarily equip you for the workplace.

It is important that graduate development programmes provide a buffer between university and the individual developing into a professional. This should include mentorship, coaching, regular assessments of completed tasks, and presenting ideas to management.

How does the Sure Academy help drive employment opportunities within industry for newly-minted female graduates?

Our bursary and graduate development programmes aim to attract more women into the industry. The criteria for both these programmes give preference to women. In addition to this, we aim to develop women through our leadership development programmes.