Siemens invests in SA skills

By Staff Writer for Siemens
Johannesburg, 28 May 2008

German multinational telecoms and engineering giant Siemens is to create 100 new posts as part of the company`s ongoing support for the government`s Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa) initiative.

Siemens Southern Africa CEO Sigi Proebstl says the company is committed to recruit and train the 100 in a number of disciplines, ranging from technical and commercial, through to career orientation and work preparation.

The necessity is for a trained and skilled network of engineers, artisans and commercial graduates to drive the economic growth necessary for sustainable regional development, Proebstl says.

"[This] initiative identifies a number of priority areas where intervention can be extremely beneficial, including unemployed graduates, students who need practical experience, artisan training, the provision of international experience in engineering and project management, as well as the issue of mid-career black women professionals who require international exposure and experience."

Proebstl adds that the training program focuses on practical and on-the-job training for technicians, engineers and commerce students to enable them to qualify. It also provides basic and intermediate financial and business administration training with an appropriate certification; and general training on safety, quality management, project management and business processes.

"In designing and implementing the programme, we have tried to find a balance between the technical and commercial professions, while simultaneously ensuring the number of active trainees is evenly distributed over the program`s duration," he says. "Also, we have taken the liberty to propose a work preparation workshop and a careers workshop in order to prepare those students looking for employment."

Siemens` current skills training schemes have already developed more than 450 trainees over the past three years. The company says, at any given time, about 200 trainees are involved in training programmes, including a revitalised Apprenticeship Training Scheme.