Steel construction industry body Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (Saisc) aims to increase its presence in Southern Africa, says Saisc CEO Paolo Trinchero.

“We are. . . establishing links with universities and training institutes in other Southern African countries, such as Botswana and Zambia,” he states, adding that the institute is also encouraging its members to run training development programmes in the countries in which they operate.

Trinchero points out that there is increasing demand for training programmes even beyond Southern Africa. For example, the institute presented a light-steel-frame training course in Windhoek, Namibia, in May, which was attended by participants from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Saisc will offer more cross-border training courses in the next two to three years, says Trinchero.

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Saisc will host University of Alberta structural engineering professor Robert Driver from Canada in August.

“Driver will lecture engineering students at the universities of Stellenbosch and Pretoria on the topic of advanced steel design,” Trinchero highlights.

Meanwhile, he notes that the institute took on three trainee civil engineering students last month from the Vaal University of Technology, in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng. The students are sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to expose them to various facets of the local steel industry.

“It is part of our mandate to assist the local steel industry in the training and upskilling of workers,” says Trinchero, adding that training forms part of the students’ final year, which is a practical training year.

The students will spend three months at each of the following institutions – Saisc (which will entail practical training), a steel fabricator, a steel design consultancy or an engineering firm, and a project site.

“This programme will provide the students with a full overview of the local industry and is an initiative that we would like to roll out further, should additional funds be raised,” says Trinchero.

He believes that private companies could at least match and perhaps even better the DST by providing funding for such initiatives.

“Private companies have a lot to gain by funding these types of programmes, as they will be able to use young, energetic interns in their operations in the short term, with the potential for the company to take them on as employees in the long term.”

Additionally, Trinchero highlights that Saisc also has a drafting school for structural steel detailers, which is currently housed at diversified engineering company Genrec Engineering’s premises, in Wadeville, on the East Rand.

There are currently 14 first-year and 14 second-year students enrolled at the school.

The institute also offers courses on an ongoing basis for the industry, ranging from high-end courses to supervisor training.

“About 300 people attend the courses every year,” notes Trinchero.