Industry body the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta) has signed a collaborative agreement with employment initiative the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) that will result in R40-million being invested into the establishment of a Youth in Chemicals programme to train young artisans.

Under the terms of the agreement, the NYDA has invested R10-million and Chieta R30-million to train youth as artisans and entrepreneurs over the next few years.

Organisations in the chemicals industries will be able to apply for discretionary grants to train more coded welders, refractory masons, electricians and boiler makers.

This includes an entrepreneurial skills training element to ensure these artisans are adequately equipped to start their own businesses.

Chieta CEO Yershen Pillay says this new programme is a fusion of artisanship and entrepreneurship, and is designed to train young artisans to be employers of youth and not simply employees. 

“We don’t want to train artisans to be job seekers, we want to train artisans to be job creators. Our Youth in Chemicals programme will train youth to be welders and boiler makers, while at the same time providing essential entrepreneurial skills to start their own small businesses,” says Pillay. 

"The NYDA is committed to addressing the plight of youth through more programmes designed for job creation and enterprise development. This innovative programme between the NYDA and Chieta – to combine artisan development with small business development – will certainly close the skills gap and create more jobs for the youth, by the youth,” comments NYDA CEO Waseem Carrim.

The combination of artisan training with entrepreneurship training is expected to lead to more jobs being created for the youth in the country.

Chieta and the NYDA aim to support 2 000 artisans to become entrepreneurs over the next two years. 

The programme is expected to start in October.