2022 Sasol Sustainability Report - Book - Page 37
INTRODUCTION
SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE AGAINST OUR FOCUS AREAS
DATA AND ASSURANCE
GROWING SHARED VALUE (CONTINUED)
Bridge-to-work: Skills development
Skills development plays a pivotal role in creating sustainable livelihoods and driving
both the formal and informal economies globally.
OUR APPROACH
Our approach to skills development considers the nature, location and scale of our activities
in order to ensure that real and lasting value is created. There is a focused effort to improve
the standard of training that will lead to enhanced economic opportunities in our fenceline
communities. We have targeted interventions that provide youth with core skills such as technical,
vocational and work readiness training to enable them to be self-sustainable and become positive
contributors to local and national economies.
WHAT WE ARE DOING
Enabling youth
employment
Small business
development
Provision of business
starter pack/trade tools
Prioritising development
interventions that are linked
to local community value
chain services.
Capacitating entrepreneurs
through business development
that enables them to set
up sustainable enterprises.
Provision of critical work tools
and equipment to enable
sustainable incomegenerating activities.
TVET-to-work skills
Business skills training
Commercialising technical
skills to enable sustainable
income earning.
Training of the unemployed
aligned to economic activity.
INVESTING IN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN SASOLBURG
The short supply of qualified, experienced artisans
in South Africa has created a huge demand for
these skills. In order for South Africa to achieve
and deliver the aspirational growth rate of 5% per
annum by 2030 (as per the National Development
Plan(NDP)), the promotion of artisan skills is
essential. To this end, Sasol in Sasolburg
partnered with government and other
stakeholders to embark on a number of skills
development initiatives in Metsimaholo to
increase the skills pool and assist in increasing the
chances of our youth becoming employable.
The Sasol Artisan Training Programme is done
in partnership with registered artisan training
entities, ie Sedibeng Artisan Skills Training Centre,
MCD Training Centre, Steinmuller, Aurex
Constructors (previously SNC-Lavalin) and Aveng
Grinaker-LTA.
Our decision to be a key role player in the
programme was also informed by a needs analysis
done in the Metsimaholo Local Municipality which
indicated the need for the following skills:
• Electrical;
• Boilermaking;
• Fitting and turning;
• Mechanical fitting;
• Motor mechanics;
• Rigging;
SASOL SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2022
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• Plumbing;
• Welding; and
• Instrumentation.
One of the notable achievements is the
partnership with Aurex Constructors and
Afrox, the recently-constructed welding school
at Boitjhorisong Resource Centre offers a
modular approach, with participants afforded
the opportunity to expand their welding skills.
The centre was also retrofitted to enable it to
offer the level 2 Argon (TIG) welding training
module. Of the first cohort of 12 who completed
the structural welding module, three were
accepted by Afrox for its advanced welding
programme and four continued with the TIG
module at the centre. Since 2020, 54 learners
were trained in Structural and Argon (TIG)
welding.
The programme provides opportunities for the
youth to pursue their goals and at the same time
helps to increase the much-needed pool of skilled
labour in the region.
This initiative has been successful due to a
collaboration with local partners and participating
local businesses such as ACTOM, AEM Electrical,
Vicro Bulk and Coonco Engineering, ID Electrical
Engineering, Kent Electrical, Serviette,
Metsimaholo Local Municipality, Department
of Health and Sasol.