Today (19th April) marked a milestone for the Westown development as the Westown Training Centre Opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony officiated by eThekwini Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.
The 2 700m2 training centre on the Westown site is a collaboration between the Westown Foundation and the Stefanutti Stocks Academy and is the first of many socio-economic and community development projects to the activated over the coming years.
Purpose Of The Training Centre
The training centre will provide development and training opportunities for qualifying individuals to accumulate knowledge, gain experience, increase their employability, and be CETA certified in certain specific construction skills.
Skills Trained
All training is facilitated by the Stefanutti Stocks Academy which offers accredited Plant Operator training, and accredited Apprenticeship Programs. The focus is on job-specific skills development which means empowering individuals with the skills required to participate in a construction workplace. The construction skills trained include:
- Construction hand tools, basic concrete training, reinforcing, and formwork, brickwork, plasterwork and painting training. Safety training is also a part of the program.
- A construction plant simulator, equipped with a variety of modules for operator training and staffed by various qualified trainers give trainees a sense of life ‘on the job’. This is an important part of the accredited earth moving and processing skills training for new recruits.
Trainees & Qualification
Over the two-year period the training centre will operate, 60-80 operators will qualify and around 500 people will pass through the centre. They will be equipped with the relevant skills to find work in the construction sector within the province, some of which will be at Westown.
Westown has prioritised qualifying individuals in the local wards. These individuals will follow a process run by the Westown social facilitator and Community Liaison Officers located on site. Those wishing to participate in the Training Centre should apply through our dedicated training contact page.
The Westown Training Centre opened with the roll-out of two key book-end projects – education at the one end and job creation at the other. In addition to its partnership with the Stefanutti Stocks Academy, the Foundation is also working with The LEARN Project to install Book Corners in a primary school in each of the two wards in which Westown is located.
🗞 Read the Westown Training Centre Opening media release
👀 See images from the opening the Westown Training Centre Gallery