SAIW supports the LIV Welding Academy… … all in the name of community upliftment

05 December 2017

The SAIW is right behind the LIV Welding Academy (LWA) initiative says SAIW executive director, Sean Blake. “We are excited about the possibilities of providing skills to young people who may otherwise never have had a chance to get employment. We know that qualified welders have an excellent chance of getting a job and we’ll do whatever we can to help Afrox and the LWA to ensure they are able to give the learners world-class levels of training,” Sean says.

SAIW’s first task is to certify the LWA as an Authorised Training Body (ATB) for the relevant International Institute of Welding (IIW) training programme. “This process is underway,” Sean
says.

The new LWA’s state-of-theart welder training centre will accommodate twelve students at a time and has begun training students on the QCTO national welder programme which is funded through bursaries from industry. The academy is in the process of obtaining the necessary accreditations.

Anne Meyer who is managing the LWA says that the centre is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to help ensure the best possible standards of training. “Not only will qualified students have the opportunity to get jobs, but also the revenue generated by the LWA will feed back into the LIV Village.” The LIV Village model is a long term cluster foster care arrangement, where the children gain a sense of belonging in a homely environment, which models an African village lifestyle. The houses are built in clusters, each with eight homes surrounding a communal play area.

Each home has a fully trained House Mother, who may SAIW supports the LIV Welding Academy… … all in the name of community upliftment bring two biological children, and will be given up to six children through the Department of Social Welfare.

Welder training at the LWA will start with pupils from both the LIV School as well as youth from the surrounding communities who are of school-going age but who are not attending school and who are unemployed. Students will leave the programme after three years as qualified Artisan Welders ready to contribute to South African industry. “There is a shortage of skilled welding
personnel in South Africa making this a powerful and sought after qualification in this country,” Meyer says.

She adds that there is a wide range of careers in welding making it one of the most advantageous skills in industry. “You can be a welder, a welding inspector, welding supervisor or coordinator,
welding specialist or engineer.

You can get involved in non-destructive testing and get involved in sales and marketing and a whole lot of other business functions in the welding and related industries. And all this across so many sectors: construction, mining, automotive, oil and gas, aerospace, shipping and more. It’s no wonder many regard it as the ‘miracle’ career.”

Afrox has been a great supporter of the LWA but more support from others in industry is required so that the LWA can continue with its very important work.

Please contact Anne on 083 787 5624 or on annemeyer@liv-village.com