Eastern Limb Training Centre addresses local skills

Limpopo – At the age of 55, Jane Mabiloane, from the village of Ga-Mapodile in Limpopo, is in the process of completing her learnership in fitting and turning at the Eastern Limb Training Centre.

“I’m very proud to be here,” she says, “I am a woman and I am older than most people, but I am a hard worker. I want to motivate the youth that education is the key to success.”

Funded and supported by Glencore’s operations, the training centre is the only one of its kind that caters for residents of the 18 villages in the greater Sekhukhune, Mashishing and surrounding communities. Since its establishment in 2005, it has trained 2,639 people, so helping to support skills development and training, and addressing unemployment in the area.

“The centre’s comprehensive programmes include a number of engineering learnerships, national certificates and non-artisan courses that cover a range of portable skills applicable to both mining and non-mining-related work,” says Forster Maloka, stakeholder engagement superintendent at Glencore.

“Our national certificate programmes are recognised across the country and, while we employ about 15% of all graduates at our operations, some graduates find work at non-Glencore operations in the area and beyond.”

The centre also provides trainee artisans with the opportunity to gain practical, on-site experience while completing their training, which improves their employability once they have graduated.

“Training at Lion Smelter was tough,” says Mabiloane, “But I was very interested. Most of the people there are men, but I was proud to do my job as well as any of them.”

Another artisan, Thabang Paile, from the nearby community of Ga-Phasha, is currently completing his learnership in boilermaking at the training centre. His experience at the centre has had a significant impact on his life, he says.

“It only required a positive attitude. While I was doing the programme, others decided to drop out instead of finishing the course. People undermined the opportunity given to them. I never undermined anything.”

The Eastern Limb Training Centre prides itself on educating between 130 and 200 learners every three months, approximately half of whom are women and most of whom are between the ages of 25 and 30. 

The training centre forms part of Glencore’s ongoing commitment to training and development and addressing unemployment in the communities near its operations.