ROCK SOLID TRAINING The partnership between Gabion Baskets and Tjeka Training Matters aims to raise the standards of gabion structure installations in South Africa
Manufacturer Gabion Baskets has partnered construction training specialist Tjeka Training Matters to provide practical instruction in the installation of its products.
Under this new arrangement, customers will receive a certificate of competency from the training provider once they have completed five days of accredited training.
This partnership between the two companies aims to raise the standards of gabion structure installations in South Africa.
“A well-designed and well-built gabion structure should have a lifespan of between 40 and 50 years. Most of the failures of gabion structures can be attributed to sub-standard installation. Among the problems that have been encountered during inspections of failures are bulging, corrosion, foundation erosion and that of the materials used to fill boxes, as well as backfill crack. These issues are either because of the use of incorrect materials to fill the boxes or poor packing techniques,” says Tjeka Training Matters CEO Frans Toua.
Gabion Baskets’ decision to partner with Tjeka Training Matters was based on the private technical and vocation education and training college’s more than 20 years of experience in providing training to the civil engineering, construction and building industries. Tjeka Training Matters’ training programmes are also accredited by the Construction Education Training Authority.
A major focus of the partnership will be on training members of communities and small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) located within project footprints on the correct installation of Gabion Baskets’ products.
Tjeka Training Matters has extensive experience training SMMEs in gabion installation as part of its various road construction skills paths and enterprise development programmes. The training is undertaken on behalf of principal contractors to assist them in meeting their socioeconomic and enterprise development targets. This is in addition to the role that this training intervention plays in bolstering productivity and efficiency levels on construction sites.
Importantly, the training also empowers poor communities by equipping them with skills that can be deployed on other civil engineering, construction and building projects.
The importance of appropriate construction training is emphasized. Tjeka Training Matters’ approach has always been to provide training that equips people with skills that they can use to earn livelihoods.
Meanwhile, the partnership will also enable Gabion Baskets to significantly accelerate training in the use of its products. This includes in remote areas of the country, considering Tjeka Training Matters’ extensive resources in the field.
As part of the arrangement, Tjeka Training Matters will also introduce its various clients in the construction value chain to all of Gabion Baskets’ new products.
“This is an industry that is constantly innovating to improve productivity and efficiencies on construction sites, while also developing new markets and applications for its products. A case in point is the use of gabion baskets in landscaping applications for aesthetic applications,” Toua says.
The company will also be providing training in the use of Gabion Baskets’ new gabion barrier defence cells.
“This is a sound example of the extent of innovation in the industry. A 5 m x 1 m x 1 m structure can be set up on site in two minutes, ready to be filled with rock to provide protection against flooding,” Toua concludes.