Industry employer organisation the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) says its Seifsa Training Centre (STC), which is run in partnership with skills development company Thuthukisa, was on display with its extensive renovations at its yearly award ceremony for students.

In a media release, Seifsa said guests who visited the premises in Benoni, Gauteng, on October 29, had a chance to view the wide-ranging improvements to the STC, as well as to celebrate the artisans.

Thuthukisa director Rajendra Rajcoomar says the upgrades have aligned the centre to the needs of industry through, among others, new training equipment, computer numerical control equipment and the upgraded toolmaker accreditation.

Seifsa says the investment into the centre also ensures the artisans learn the skills that make them more employable.

“The centre, which has undergone significant changes due to legislative changes in the artisanal training landscape, has also introduced new machinery to roll out new qualifications, such as toolmaking, and to align itself to the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR),” says Rajcoomar.

To meet the needs of the 4IR, Seifsa says a “state-of-the-art” smart classroom has been built, which allows students to simulate a practical work environment using various machinery.

“The relaunch is about creating awareness of the revitalised STC and the curriculum that has been implemented. We also want to showcase the Entrepreneurial Hub and its beneficiaries,” says Rajcoomar.

Seifsa explains that the Incubation Hub allows young artisans to “spread their entrepreneurial wings”, while receiving advice and support from the centre, thereby improving their chances of success.

Awards were given to artisans who have excelled in each of the ten trades on offer, based on the new occupational curriculum, namely toolmaker, welder, boilermaker, mechanical fitter, fitter and turner, turner machinist, millwright, pipe fitter, electrician and instrumentation.

As this year draws to a close, Seifsa says the STC is looking at what lies ahead for 2026.

“We want to drive the intake of student numbers given the rollout of new qualifications; ensure the continuous improvement of the facility and equipment; and expand our training offering across more industries,” says Rajcoomar.