R95.9m project to train KZN youth in job-ready skills

A R95.9 million skills development project will train 1 020 young people in KwaZulu-Natal in aircraft maintenance engineering and wheel balancing, with the aim of improving employment prospects and encouraging entrepreneurship.

Through the National Skills Fund (NSF), the Department of Higher Education and Training has approved funding over 43 months for the project, implemented by Fuze Business Initiative.

Launched at Obiri Airport in Pietermaritzburg this week, the Aircraft Maintenance Engender Project aims to equip young people with practical, industry-relevant skills that can open pathways to employment and contribute to economic growth.

The initiative will strengthen technical skills, improve beneficiaries’ employability, and support the province’s broader economic development.

The programme comprises 20 apprentices undertaking a three-year aircraft maintenance engineering programme in uMgungundlovu and 1 000 learners pursuing a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 3-wheel balancer qualification.
The wheel balancer training includes 300 learners in Newcastle, 200 in Mooi River and 500 in Mpumza, Pietermaritzburg. Recruited learners began training in August and receive monthly stipends, toolkits and protective equipment.

Delivering a keynote address, Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube highlighted the department’s investment in skills development through the National Skills Fund.

The project is designed not only to prepare young people for employment, but also to support enterprise development, with its budget making provision for the registration of cooperatives.
“We are not only training you to be employed. We are expecting some of you to employ others,” Dube-Ncube said.

She noted that the initiative came at a time when unemployment remains a major challenge, particularly among young people, emphasising the need to expand occupational training and workplace-based learning.

She stressed the importance of aligning training with industry needs to ensure that learners acquire practical skills relevant to the labour market.

The programme also aims to prepare young people for emerging occupations in areas such as electric and hybrid vehicle systems, drone maintenance, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostics and green hydrogen.

Dube-Ncube stressed the need for training providers to work closely with industry to equip learners with skills that meet current economic demands, while preparing them for future technological changes.

She also highlighted the potential for South African-trained artisans and aircraft maintenance engineers to access opportunities beyond the country, as demand for specialised skills grows across Africa.

The project forms part of broader efforts by the Department of Higher Education and Training to expand skills development. For the 2026/27 financial year, the department is targeting more than 520 000 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college enrolments, including 91 800 workplace-based learning opportunities and 22 000 artisan certifications.

Dube-Ncube said the NSF’s Artisan Massification Programme represents a separate R2.39 billion investment aimed at producing more than 10 000 artisans.
She emphasised that public funding must deliver measurable results, noting that part of the management fee payable to Fuze Business Initiative will be withheld until agreed outcomes are achieved.

“We will measure you, in the spirit of Batho Pele, on value for money: on how many learners complete, how many qualify, and how many find work or start enterprises.”

No economy can grow while its women live in fear
Dube-Ncube also called on training providers and host employers to ensure safe learning and working environments, with clear policies and reporting channels to address gender-based violence and harassment.

“No economy can grow while its women live in fear. No learner can master a trade while she is afraid to walk to the training site.”

She urged young men to use strength in their hands to build, not break.
“A real man repairs engines; he does not break the people who love him. Call out your friends. Refuse to be silent.

“To the young women: you belong in the hangar, in the workshop and in the boardroom. If you are harmed or threatened, speak out. You will be believed, and you will be supported,” the Deputy Minister said.

The Gender-Based Violence Command Centre is available day and night on 0800 428 428. – SAnews.gov.za

 

Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.