SA Affordable Housing January - February 2020 // ISSUE: 80 | Page 29
PROFILE
deliver training on the ‘soft’ skills rather than technical
subject matter of each particular industry and have been
primarily involved on the regulatory side of training:
working with Setas, accreditation and alignment of
material. We had subject matter experts and my role is to
ensure that the training they deliver is fit-for-purpose.
ENTERING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
He has been IOPSA training manager for the past year and
involved in a new industry: construction. “What’s
stimulating about this work is the empowerment and joy it
gives to learners and apprentices. For instance, on the
IOPSA apprenticeship pilot, I deal with people who, based
on their family dynamics, would typically not qualify for
such a trade but now are on that path. One individual in
particular is the best of the current intake and whose
leadership skills are growing by the day. That is extremely
rewarding to be part of. This individual is at a point of
being completely self-motivated to the extent he himself
recognises what gaps he still has in his training and on his
own initiative will approach an employer so as to work
there on his apprenticeship and get the necessary
exposure.”
One of the biggest challenges of his job and the
apprenticeship programme, he says, is to improve the job
readiness of applicants. “A lot have never worked before;
their culture is not job-oriented; and they don’t
understand what the word ‘professionalism’ means; they
don’t know how to communicate with supervisors; they
occasionally just don’t pitch for work. The flip side of this
is that employers can be so tough on them that they crack,
and we have to intervene. The apprentice is our employee,
though their first point of reference would be the college
when they’re studying, and the employer if it is work
related. “It is also a physically demanding job, and it is a
process to get to that point.”
Before IOPSA, says Mpepho, he worked for the Master
Builders’ Association where he met Lea Smith, a Master
Builders Association North’s EXCO member who is also the
current President of IOPSA – who was an important role
model to Mpepho. “He’s a visionary and highly influential
in the construction industry generally and plumbing as
well. I had ideas at the time regarding apprenticeships
which are already implemented in the plumbing industry,
and Lea was one of the few leaders who had an advanced
understanding of the education and training landscape in
the country and as a result supported the initiatives.
Under executive director Brendan Reynolds, IOPSA is far
ahead of many employer associations in the construction
sector in terms of the impact it is making on its industry.
Furthermore, my manager Nick Joubert is a rare breed of
person in that he both possesses technical knowledge and
understands the regulatory framework and training at
advanced levels.”
Mpepho was instrumental in encouraging MBA North to
participate in the DHET’s Centres of Specialisation
initiative. This followed an invitation by the MBSA (Master
Builders South Africa) executive director to represent the
federation at the initial meetings with DHET.
It was this which led him to IOPSA, as IOPSA already
understood and managed apprenticeships. It has already
implemented a pilot project, led by Mpepho.
He says he is currently facing arguably the biggest
challenge of his career: acquiring the technical skills of
plumbing, a challenge he relishes.
From left: AJC Plumbers’ four apprentices – Innocent Mnisi (26); Sandisiwe Mbolekua (25); Sheron Mashele (24); and Keelibone
Mahlake (30) – with owner Arthur Classen second from left.
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za
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