GEORGE NEWS - The Garden Route Skills Mecca (GRSM), an initiative of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), has invested significantly in training and skills development programmes across the district's municipal areas over the past three years.
Since 2022, nearly R124,4m has been invested across local municipalities, creating opportunities for more than 2 191 individuals in the Garden Route district.
An additional R114,26m worth of projects are currently in the implementation phase. These efforts included training for artisans as well skills training in areas such as the expanded public works programme (EPWP), project management, tourism and hospitality, small and medium enterprise, the digital sector, water and sanitation, and firefighting.
"It highlights a steady increase in skills development initiatives in the Garden Route, contributing to noticeable growth in the region," says GRDM head of communications Herman Pieters.
The investments in local municipal areas include:
Bitou: More than R12m
Knysna: Nearly R35,5m
George: About R23m
Mossel Bay: Almost R13m
Oudtshoorn: Almost R14m
Hessequa: R8m
Kannaland: Almost R5,9m
"Additionally, the GRSM invested about R5,3m in the developing of interns placed at various departments of the GRDM," says Pieters. "More skills development programmes are to be implemented which include ICT skills, maritime training, rural development, cellphone repairs training and more. The establishment of training academies are also in the process to the completed."
The programmes are aimed at expanding the network of industry-based programmes designed to meet the region's employers' needs. GRSM's initiatives are made possible through partnerships with local municipalities, various Setas, training providers and the private sector.
Participants from across the Garden Route with representatives of GRDM’s EPWP unit, Big Hearts and Oudtshoorn Municipality after the signing of their contracts to gain workplace experience at the GRDM through the GRSM initiative.
Database and central info hub
Since its inception, the GRSM has hosted three skills summits and a number of local skills indabas. It has also developed a website that serves as central information hub for training providers and stakeholders, as well as an online recruitment system for all projects and programmes.
"R36m was received from the National Skills Fund to the GRSM," says Pieters. "Skills Mecca technicians have been placed at each municipality to coordinate activities of the GRSM at local level. This ensures a more coordinated approach that contributes towards the smooth operations of the initiative."
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