Cold Link Africa October 2019 | Page 4

NEWS INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN Artisans are changing the game COLD LINK AFRICA PUBLISHED BY Interact Media Defined (Pty) Ltd 13A Riley Rd, Bedfordview 2009, South Africa PO Box 695, Edenvale, 1610 Tel: +27 (0) 11 579 4940 | Fax: +27 (0) 11 450 1920 Web: www.interactmedia.co.za PUBLISHING UNIT LEAD: Dale Macnamara [email protected] Editor: Tarina Coetzee [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES External sales: Dale Macnamara [email protected] Zeldalee du Toit [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS: Maxlee Marange | [email protected] Ralph Shongwe | [email protected] SUB-EDITOR: Tarren Bolton [email protected] DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Glyniss Bone [email protected] PROCESS CO-ORDINATOR: Lebo Bucibo [email protected] MANAGEMENT Finance/operations: Sean Macnamara [email protected] Finance: Laetitia Arnott [email protected] PRINTING: TYPO DISTRIBUTION: [email protected] From left: Lee-Anne Andrews, occupational boilermaker/welder lecturer at False Bay TVET College; Candra Pedro, first female Trade Tested shipbuilder in South Africa; and Ndileka Ndzolo, False Bay TVET College Trade Test coordinator. S outh African TVET colleges are changing perceptions and breaking barriers in previously male-dominated industries – with female artisans. It’s pretty much a given that any schoolgirl (or schoolboy) who is asked to describe a ‘boilermaker’ or ‘shipbuilder’ will not imagine anyone remotely like Lee-Anne Andrews or Candra Pedro, but this is destined to change if they have anything to do with it. And it’s not just because gender prejudice and stereotypes have no place in our democracy. With the country experiencing an official unemployment rate of 27,6% and a youth unemployment rate of 63,4%, our economy needs double the number of artisans it currently produces annually if it is to grow to a level that provides decent work for everyone. There’s no time to wait for everyone to get with the (gender equity) programme. In Andrews’ case, that programme was the newly launched NC(V) Engineering Fabrication certificate course in which she enrolled at Northlink College in 2008. After passing many of the 21 subjects with distinction, she joined Damen Shipping as an apprentice boilermaker in 2011, and passed her trade test in Boilermaking in May 2013 – becoming the first female boilermaker in South Africa. At just 27 years old, Andrews is also a lecturer at False Bay Technical 4 www.coldlinkafrica.co.za and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) College. With both a father and brother being artisans, Bonteheuwel-born Candra Pedro began making unusual but natural choices in high school already, including taking Woodwork as a subject. After matriculating at Spes Bona High in 2010, she enrolled for the N5-level National Certificate in Multi-Disciplinary Drawing Office Practice. Soon thereafter, she saw an Armscor advert for a shipbuilding apprenticeship, immediately applied and was placed in the Shipbuilding Apprenticeship Programme based at Simonstown Dockyard. After completing her Structural Steel and Plating N2 Certificate at Northlink College and six years of work to meet the work experience requirement, she took the trade test at False Bay TVET College in May 2019. Andrews says, “As the first qualified female boilermaker I felt honoured to test Candra during her Shipbuilding trade test. I admired her confident ability to perform under tremendous pressure. I’m really proud of her for setting a benchmark and for being so inspiring to other young women.” False Bay TVET College Trade Test Centre coordinator, Ndileka Ndzolo, is quick to set the record straight for anyone who thinks that the path female artisans choose is easy. “The artisan environment is not easy at all. Having been a male-dominated environment historically, learning and succeeding in it requires a lot of courage, focus, determination, and resilience.” Despite this, Ndzolo says there has been a substantial increase in females successfully completing trade tests, “Especially in the past two years or so,” she says, and ascribes this to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)’s strategy from around 2014 of publicising artisanship through national roadshows. Pedro says her male supervisors and head artisans were protective of her as the only female and the youngest apprentice in her class. That doesn’t mean she had an easier ride, but she is grateful to the staff for always pushing her to do more, especially now-retired Shipbuilding Training officer, Rafieq Fisher. Pedro’s achievement had the added value of helping her class and workmates to see their trades less in terms of gender and more in terms of competence and skill. Having blazed the trail, Andrews and Pedro feel more women will become artisans, as role models now exist who proved that it can be done. “If you can stand heights and tight spaces and getting dirty, all you need to succeed is determination, perseverance, and self- belief,” says Pedro. Are you a female in the HVAC&R industry? What has your experience been like? Share your story by emailing: [email protected] CLA CIRCULATION: Jul - Dec 2018 Total free distribution 2803 ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY PRINTING All paper is sourced from the Forest Stewardship Council and Chain of Custody-certified suppliers. All waste paper from the plant is recycled. All used plates are recycled. All new printing equipment is purchased for low energy-consumption levels and low volatile organic-compound emissions. COPYRIGHT & DISCLAIMER While every reasonable precaution has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the advice and information given, neither the editor, publisher, proprietor, staff, nor any official body represented or published in this issue, will accept responsibility for any damages, loss, injuries or false claims that may arise or be made in the content. Including but not limited to any references to gender, religion, politics, ethnicity or personal preferences of any editorial contribution whether an industry expert, advertiser through sponsored or paid content or contract writer. We subscribe to the Codes of Conduct of the Advertising Standards Authority and the Press Ombudsman (see below). Disclaimers by individual compa- nies are hereby overridden by this disclaimer. Reproduction of any of the content is expressly forbidden in terms of the Copyright Act of 1987 with all amendments. All requests to reproduce must be made in writing to the publisher and such confirmation must be given in writing before proceeding. A copy of where the reproduc- tion was published must be supplied to the publisher at the above address. No reasonable request will be refused provided all condi- tions are met. All publication and exhibition titles are registered as trademarks in terms of the Trade Marks Act of 1993 and are held by Interact Media Defined (Pty) Ltd, Reg No 2014/092774/07. PRESS OMBUDSMAN: This publication has committed itself to maintain the highest standards of journalism as embodied in the Press Code of Professional Practice. If you believe we have failed to report news and comment accurately, honestly and fairly, you may lodge a complaint with the Press Ombudsman either by email, fax or letter, or by telephoning the office for the procedure to be followed. Tel: +27 (0) 11 484 3612/8 | Fax: +27 (0) 11 484-3612/8 Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.ombudsman.org.za for the press code This publication subscribes to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Code of Conduct which represents truthful advertising. Should any reader feel or believe that advertising in this publication lacks substantiation, is dishonest or misleading in any way, they may refer to the ASA, www.asasa.org.za. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION COLD LINK AFRICA • OCTOBER 2019