The Ekurhuleni Business Development Academy (EBDA) is in the process of recruiting 200 National Skills Fund (NSF) engineering learners but are in desperate need to identify companies that are willing to host them for their on-the-job/practical component of their training.
The duration of an engineering learnership (depending on the trade) is approximately 108 weeks where half of that time is spent at the Ekurhuleni Business Development Academy (based in Brakpan) and the balance at the host company.
There are numerous benefits for participating companies for taking these learners on board, regardless of whether a company is a levy-paying institution or not. Some of the benefits for both levy-paying and non-levy paying companies include:
- No costs including stipends
- Free labour for at least six months of the year which allows the host company to free up its own employees for training purposes or leave
- A pool of talent for recruitment purposes as the host company gets first right of refusal to employ the learners it hosts
- Learners may be included for purposes of the BEE scorecards and Workplace Skills Plans
- Looked at favourably in terms of CSI initiatives
For levy paying companies there is the added benefit of grants payable as well as tax benefits due for the hosting of these engineering learners. There are also numerous BEE benefits as mentioned above.
There are a limited number of obligations that a host company needs to endure for hosting learners. These are limited to the following:
- A Service Level Agreement (SLA) needs to be drawn up between the host company and the learner whereby both parties agree to the following:
- A mentor/supervisor needs to be appointed to each learner to monitor their learning and sign off logbooks
- The host company needs to ensure that the workplace is fit for learning
- The host company must be prepared to allow EBDA onto its premises for random monitoring purposes
- The learner must agree to adhere to all the host company’s policies and procedures.
- The host company must allow the Mining Qualification Authority (MQA) onto its premises for random inspections
- Optional conditions such as the offering of meal, travel or accommodation subsidies may be agreed to between the learner and the host company with the intention of building a relationship between the two parties.
Should you be interested in becoming a host company or require any further information, please contact the Ekurhuleni Business Development Academy (EBDA) on (011) 742-1045/51 or via email on info@ebda.co.za
