Energy management and automation multinational Schneider Electric South Africa has signed a letter of intent with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) to expand their Access to Education training collaboration.
Working towards the promotion of vocational training and training of trainers, the collaboration between Schneider Electric and the DHET will focus on student development, staff development, as well as curriculum and programme development.
“Schneider Electric recognises the importance of collaboration between industry and government to ensure development in the more than 100 countries that we operate in. Initiatives such as these promote job creation and the establishment of new entrepreneurs through our training programmes,” says Schneider Electric Middle East and Africa president Caspar Herzberg.
Access to Education primarily addresses the need for practical skills development within the field of energy.
Since 2012, it has provided energy education to almost 9 000 people and, in the next four years, this will increase to 30 000 people, including students, community members, entrepreneurs and teachers.
“We are delighted to sign this statement of intent with the Higher Education and Training Minister Naledi Pandor. A core value for Schneider Electric is ensuring that ‘Life is On’ for everyone.
“Key to achieving this value is the implementation of our training programmes in the field of energy, which have been designed to support and promote training initiatives, as well as vocational training in historically disadvantaged communities.”
It is critical to expand on collaborations between industry and government in the field of higher education, training and skills development so that the energy sector can consolidate and accelerate efforts at preparing the workforce for the future, said Herzberg.
Schneider Electric South Africa and Schneider Electric Foundation partnered with the French Ministry of Education to launch the first French-South African Schneider Electric Education Centre (F'SASEC) in 2012 at the Vaal University of Technology.
The F’SASEC network, present at five educational institutions in South Africa, promotes practical training of electrical artisans, introduces advanced teaching methods to train trainers and establishes best practices.
F’SASEC was developed in line with the DHET’s White Paper for bridging the gap between various levels of education, with a strong focus on preparing young South Africans.