The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) jointly announced on Monday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This MoU created a strategic partnership to jointly create high-impact education, training and skills development programmes, which would reinforce the country’s capability to develop scarce but critical and future-proof skills required by both the nuclear and water sectors. (The MoU was actually signed on Thursday, July 24.) 

“Collaborating with institutions such as EWSETA through our Necsa Learning Academy is essential to advancing South Africa’s national and socioeconomic development agenda,” highlighted Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe. “This MoU enables us to better define and meet the evolving needs of the nuclear sector, ensuring our industry has the capacity to support strategic infrastructure and energy goals.” 

“As a sector education and training authority, our mandate is to contribute to an inclusive, skilled economy,” explained EWSETA CEO Mpho Mookapele. “This partnership with Necsa allows us to design and deliver responsive training that empowers young people, supports the growth of the nuclear value chain, and ensures South Africa is ready for the technological future that lies ahead.” 

There are four main areas for collaboration under the MoU. They are skills planning and forecasting, skills delivery and workforce development, enterprise and career development, and collaboration with institutions of higher learning. 

Skills planning and forecasting will see the two agencies jointly mapping skills that are currently, and will in the future, be needed by the nuclear sector. This will make certain that training programmes are in line with the emerging needs of the sector. 

Skills delivery and workforce development will see the coordinated development of programmes for nuclear-specific skills. These will include nuclear engineering, reactor operations, and radiation protection. 

Enterprise and career development will promote entrepreneurship as well as career awareness and career pathway development. It will do so through support for small and emerging companies and through focused initiatives for youth development. 

Collaboration with institutions of higher learning will see the two agencies strengthen the connections between academia and industry. This will promote research and innovation as well as nuclear- and water-relevant curriculum development.  

“By aligning education and skills development with national priorities, this partnership will enhance the country’s competitiveness, facilitate inclusive economic participation, and equip a new generation of South Africans to lead in specialised, high-technology fields,” said Necsa and EWSETA is their joint statement.