Training Of South African Graduates In Tool Design And Manufacture At The Indo-German Tool Room In Aurangabad, India

18 June 2004

The Department of Science and Technology will host a farewell dinner on Friday, 18 June 2004, 18: 00 at Sheraton Hotel in Pretoria for the 9 (nine) South African students who will be departing for India from Johannesburg International Airport on Saturday, 19 June 2004, 12: 00. The students will participate in a one-year intensive training programme in Tool Design and Manufacture at the Indo-German Tool Room Centre in the Indian city of Aurangabad.

The nine South African learners are Mr Vusi Skosana (Gauteng), Mr Jeffery Makhubela (Gauteng), Mr Welby Mathata (Gauteng), Mr Trishane Chinnasamy (KwaZulu-Natal), Mr Joel Maphaka (Western Cape), Ms Nosizo Phindela (Western Cape), Mr Nicholas Goniwe (Western Cape), Mr Alton Sonn (Western Cape), and Mr Mbavhalelo Mabogo (Western Cape).

The Indo-German Tool Room centre in India is part of a network of tooling training centres, established over the past 15 years with German technical cooperation and support, and has state-of-the-art production facilities. A training programme has been specially designed for South African graduates in mechanical engineering, particularly those from Technikons, taking into account the needs of the local tooling industry. The practical component, which constitutes approximately half of the course, will be carried out in a full production environment (on-the-job training). All major areas of tooling will be covered, namely injection moulding, die casting and press tooling. Successful trainees will be highly geared up to enter industry at all levels.

In December 2003, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in conjunction with the GTZ (German Technical Cooperation organised a visit to India to discuss the Indo-German Tool Room Programme. Since then, discussions and negotiations between South African organisations, under the banner of the National Tooling Initiative, and the Indian Ministry for Small Scale Industries, led to the formation of this cooperation. These developments were also supported by the South African High Commission in India and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Funding for the cooperation has been provided by the DST and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape.

According to the South African Tooling Industry, as reported by members of the Toolmaking Association of South Africa (TASA), the shortage of skills in the area of Tool Design and Manufacture is the main obstacle to competitiveness and economic growth within this industry. In addition to the immediate demand for these skills in our industry, the country needs to develop human capacity to enable the training of toolmakers within South Africa, the establishment of technology transfer and Research & Development interventions, and the establishment of new enterprises. This is due to the strength of a growing Automotive Industry with increased demand for tooling.

The Department of Science and Technology' s intervention and support in the development of the tooling industry is primarily based on its Microeconomic Reform Strategy - to develop "a restructured and adaptive economy characterised by growth, employment and equity". This relates to the potential for upstream and downstream job creation as a result of skilled tooling engineers entering the industry, and the growth in domestic product due to increased activity in this high value-adding industry.

NB. THE MEDIA IS INVITED TO ATTEND THE LAUNCH

The further details of the occasion are as follows: