IOPSA is happy to announce some exciting new projects that have been awarded
By Nick Joubert , IOPSA
BUSINESS AND TRAINING 15
One is often asked what does IOPSA do ? Plumbing Africa asked Nick to fill us all in on current projects – training for a start .
1 . GIZ is funding a project for 30 SMME plumbers operating in Soweto , Diepsloot and Mamelodi . The focus will be increasing their financial literacy , legal compliance and sustainability . There will be a selection process and the ten most suitable Plumbing contractors in each area will be selected and contracted to go through a newly designed programme for 22 months . IOPSA will use willing and able mentors to assist with this very exciting project . The programme will include technical aspects to get them to move to green technologies , Health and Safety , Financial management and costing of a job , Marketing and how to best satisfy client needs to ensure return business and increase employment of staff . They should also meet the requirements to become members of IOPSA and their membership fees will be paid for two years .
2 . SASOL Schools ’ project will commence on a pilot basis with market place who has been appointed by SASOL as the implementing agent . Five High Schools have been selected in the East Rand . IOPSA to visit these schools and evaluate the present workshops together with the teaches and support staff . Gaps will be identified and a roll out plan to be designed and implemented . This intervention will focus on upskilling staff and ensure suitable equipment is available for training according to the department curricula . The present grade 10 – 12 Civil Curricula covers close to 100 % of the occupational plumber curricula . Once the learner has completed grade 12 , he or she will have close to full credits for the knowledge component of the plumber three-year training . This can lead to a reduction in training time of an apprentice . QCTO is part of the IOPSA process to re-engineer the plumbing career path and this will have positive effects within our industry .
3 . Department of Public Works is in the process of professionalising staff that hold a qualification as a plumber but are not registered as a licenced plumber . SAWIP and IOPSA will design and implement a national training programme that incoporates SANS Codes with a week-long training intervention to assist each participant in taking the PIRB assessment to allow registration as licenced plumber . At present we have 296 participants , with a target of 500 . Lorraine Mooi from SAWIP is the appointed person communicating with the department . The roll out plan ( subject to signing of by the Department ) shows commencement in August 2023 and completion of round one in December 2023 .
© Rory Macnamara | Plumbing Africa
4 . NBI requested IOPSA to support and participate with their plumbers ’ hand training intervention during this financial year . IOPSA have done this over the last three years and provided on-the-job opportunities with the assistance from our members . KZN is the first province to kick off this year . The Plumbers Forum , together with uMfolozi TVET college , will have 30 students . IOPSA , together with SAWIP and Flavius Mareka TVET College , will be seeking finance from NSF for the Free State project . In Gauteng we have 30 students at EEC TVET College who have completed their training . EWC TVET College will be focusing on the Mamelodi area for the fourth group of 30 learners .
Please feel free to clarify any aspect and we can provide contact details of other project members who you can gladly contact and interview . PA
“ IOPSA will use willing and able MENTORS to assist with this very exciting project .”
Nick Joubert .
November 2023 Volume 29 I Number 9 www . plumbingafrica . co . za