RACA Journal July 2021 | Page 17

www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I July 2021 15
Events and Exhibitions
Before presenting the students with their certificates , Elaine Brass took the opportunity to say a few words .
“ It is indeed a wonderful day as we see all of the graduates with joy in their heart , to see the excitement , and most of all to see hope . This is why we are here today – to be a part of that experience and stand proud alongside them . This programme is a direct result of our guidance by the Minister of Education to produce more artisans . Today we receive the reward of the process , and so congratulate each and every student . Getting a 100 % pass rate is also no small achievement and the industry now gains much needed air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics for buildings , public hospitals , mortuaries and many other critical facilities that will not only support these facilities functionally , but also in the reduction of waste where equipment is not working or not working correctly .”
Brass continued , “ The process until now has not been easy , and moving from an apprentice to an artisan requires a lot of sacrifices , perhaps some sleepless nights , dedication and commitment , hard work , and often time away from family and friends . But all graduates must know that we appreciate your
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effort and recognise your sacrifices , perseverance , resilience , and offer the encouragement that hard work will pay off . Also , the achievements we celebrate today would not be possible without quality partners such as ACRA and the workplace providers . The programme objective has been met not only for the teachers , but for the college system , and is further a great example of a successful partnership between the private and public sectors . We should continue these partnerships , not only for our sector but for the country as a whole .”
As a further means of support for the graduates , Brass opened the door for all the students to be further assisted to obtain their drivers licenses as a fundamental block of being able to utilise their skills moving forward .
The speakers
1 .
Grant Laidlaw – CEO of ACRA ,
2 .
Edward Dunn – TVET campus manager ,
3 .
Elaine Brass – CEO of HW SETA ,
4 .
Margret Molefe – DFFE ,
5 .
Precious Pretty Phati – TVET QA manager ,
6 .
Ayanda Mona – graduate .
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www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I July 2021 15