Bloemfontein-based Louis Botha Technical High School officially reopened its welding centre earlier this month, after the facility had undergone a complete overhaul and upgrade, which was funded by local gas and welding company Afrox.

Louis Botha is the latest of 12 high schools over the past two years that have had their welding centre fully equipped with a range of Afrox Transarc MMA Inverter power sources, metal inert gas (MIG) power sources, Afrox PortaPaks and personal protective equipment, as well as consumables such as Vitemax, electrodes and MIG wires.

Afrox manufacturing industries business manager Johann Pieterse tells Engineering News that the upgrade forms part of Afrox’s initiative to upgrade 25 schools nationwide by the start of the new technical school curriculum in 2016 and to support and enhance economic and skills development in South Africa.

He notes that welding skills are critically scarce in South Africa. “This centre has been upgraded to the highest standards of quality and safety and will equip learners with the skills and expertise required to add measurable value to the South African manufacturing sector.”

Louis Botha Technical High School department head Sakkie Matthee adds that, over the past ten years, technical education for the training of skilled craftsmen has been lacking.

“However, with the help of the National Association of Schools for Technology and Afrox, we were able to assist the Department of Education (DoE) in identifying the shortage of artisans in South Africa,” he says.

As a result, the DoE realised that specialist training of craftsmen in upgraded and advanced welding workshops was crucial, notes Pieterse.

“The upgrade ensures that all learners, starting with Grade 10, will receive the correct training that meets certain standards. This will subsequently enable them to join any welding institution after they matriculate and make a positive contribution to the local industry,” adds Matthee.

Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape are also benefiting from the school welding-centre upgrades. As part of its commitment to this initiative, Afrox is also hosting extensive teacher training in welding. “The next critical step lies in training the teachers,” Pieterse emphasises.

The teacher training is an Afrox-accredited 40-hour training programme spanning ten weeks. It started last month at Afrox’s Application Technology Centre in Germiston, Gauteng. Initially, 12 teachers will be fully trained and upskilled in welding. However, Pieterse is confident that this number can be substantially increased in the long term.

“These courses are custom-designed by Afrox to cater for these teachers; they form part of our long-term strategy to not only promote but also sustain welding skills in the country.

“Our ultimate goal is to offer bursaries to matriculants and to enter into partnerships with technical colleges nationwide, thereby promoting welding as an attractive career choice,” he concludes.