Plumbing industry endorses in-company mentor training programme
ASSOCIATIONS 9
By
GIZ Skills Development for a Green Economy ( SD4GE ) II . Edited by Rory Macnamara
IOPSA recently endorsed the value of the updated In-Company Mentor training programme . According to training manager , Nick Joubert , IOPSA formally approved the training programme for their members and in addition , the PIRB ( Professional Institute of Registered Plumbers ) awarded this training programme 8 CPD ( Continuous Professional Development ) points for Plumbing Professionals registered with the PIRB .
It has been consistently acknowledged that a structured and recorded learning process at the workplace such as real on the job learning , makes a significant contribution to the employability of graduates of dual occupational training programmes , this is important as apprentices spend up to 70 % of the training period at the workplace . It is compulsory for companies to provide in-company mentors for these purposes . Mentors at company-level must be familiar with the key features of dual occupation training programmes as well as understand the value of integrating knowledge , practical skills , and workplace experience .
The training of in-company mentors to facilitate the transfer of learning at the workplace has not received the sufficient attention over the recent years . Experience in apprentice programmes shows that corporate employers often have the capacity to manage the mentoring of apprentices , but in contrast , smaller or medium sized host companies often lack the understanding and capacity of how to organise structured learning in the workplace and in so doing provide mentorship to apprentices . The updates to the In-Company Mentor programme were developed in collaboration with various stakeholders and in particular industry organisations such as IOPSA to address these gaps .
Established in 1989 , IOPSA has become the recognised voice of the South African plumbing industry . “ The organisation felt it is important to support the development and recognition of the training programme because it would add value for their members in that it would significantly improve workplace mentoring , one of the building blocks of continuous improvement ,” commented Nick Joubert from IOPSA .
The content of the programme is based on similar international programmes but contextualised for the South African world of work .
The content , implementation and assessment were piloted by a group of industry representatives who are Master Trainers of the programme , before being offered as a training programme to mentors in industry .
The training programme is implemented using a blended learning approach – this consists of both an e-learning component utilising a platform that was created for this purpose , as well as contact sessions conducted in compliance with Covid-19 regulations . This means the training programme is accessible and does not interfere with production or company operations . The training programme is currently available free of charge to in-company mentors as well as to college staff in the Centres of Specialisation ( CoS ) programme .
After successfully completing the programme candidates will receive certificates endorsed by industry associations such as IOPSA as well as by GIZ ( Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ( GIZ ) GmbH ).
According to IOPSA ’ s Nick Joubert they highly recommend this programme to any in-company mentor ( or prospective mentor ) as well as to TVET personnel who are involved in occupational training programmes conducted in partnership with companies . IOPSA would also urge other industry associations to equally endorse and recommend this programme thereby improving the standard on mentor training , and in the process improve the standard of artisan training in South Africa .
GIZ ’ s Skills Development for a Green Economy ( SD4GE ) technical advisor , Louwrens Coetzer , indicated that the success of dual occupational training , hinges quite substantially on having well capacitated personnel both in the colleges as well as in Companies . Support for such capacity building interventions is one of four pillars of the SD4GE support for TVET and Skills development in the country .
July 2021 Volume 27 I Number 5 www . plumbingafrica . co . za