Centre of Specialisation
(CoS)

Boland College is very privileged to have been nominated by the DHET as one of 2 Welding Centres of Specialisation out of the 50 Public TVET Colleges in South Africa.

Our College team consisting of staff at Worcester Campus and Head Office with our other external stakeholders and with our employer partners have worked extremely hard to successfully implement the establishment of the CoS.

We certainly believe that the implementation plan and the lessons learnt from this experience will stand us in good stead when plan to implement the Artisan of the 21st Century (A21) or the new QCTO Occupational Certificate qualifications in our other

trades on offer, namely, bricklayer, electrician and automotive motor mechanic, respectively at Paarl, Strand and Worcester.

One of the main objectives of the CoS establishment is for the College to successfully produce, in partnership with employers, quality artisans in one or more of the 13 identified priority trades (of which welder is one) in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of the Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPs) and other strategic projects.

The College has managed to facilitate the key component which differentiates the CoS apprenticeship from other learning programmes, and that was to ensure that the employers could recruit and conclude an apprenticeship contract with the learner candidate prior to them (the apprentices) starting with the qualification. Our 1st group of 30 apprentices started in March 2019 with short induction at their respective companies, where after they proceeded to start with the Knowledge Modules of the qualification at Worcester Campus.

Some of the benefits of being a CoS include:

  • The learners who graduate from the programme will have an improved prospect of employment as the training will be of high quality, relevant and up-to-date.
  • By taking on this opportunity, the College will be helping the country to ensure that the skills required for its growth and development are available.
  • They will help to ensure that those that work on the big, strategic projects are South Africans. Without this focused effort there is a strong possibility that employers will recruit abroad.
  • It brings the College into contact with a wide range of employers all of whom have an interest in the employment of graduates from the specific programme.
  • It is a unique opportunity to build the capacity for our College in this occupational area with expert assistance, funding and support.
  • The College, with this specialised offering, will motivate students to take on vocational training as a viable career path.