On Thursday, November 17th, the KZN Chamber of Printing SA hosted 10 unemployed South African’s free of charge, as part of a skills development initiative with the aim of growing the printing industry.
Inderan Reddy (Macquip & Screenwise) far left and Geoff Warren (Director KZN Chamber Printing SA) far right, with the students from the Screen Printing Level 1 held at Printing SA in Pinetown, showing off their prints before completing phase 1 of the training. Back row: Roxanne Govender, Anele Zaca, Javein Lalljith, Lucky Dladla, Muzi Langa, Floyd Chetty, and in front: Sicelo Shandu, Menzi Dimbaza, Nkululeko Gwala and Thulisile Dube.
Geoff Warren, the Director of the KZN Chamber: Printing SA, contacted industry professionals during the year seeking CV’s of unemployed persons, in an effort to help provide a new skill set for their future.
10 students, ranging from age 17 to 35, were then chosen to participate in the two weeks of training, all of whom have a Matric certificate but without the finances to study further or unable to find a job.
Through funding received from the FP&M SETA, Printing SA’s KZN Chamber was able to contract the services of Macquip & Screenwise, and provide each student with skills training as well as the equipment needed to begin their own business – that of a single colour single station table-top shirt printer, inks, screens, squeegees, as well as screen printing inks and consumables needed for a smoothly run process.
“This course and the materials provided, were developed in order to allow those without jobs to break into the printing industry and earn their own income, whether it is through running their own business or using their skills as an employee of a screen printing company. We at Printing SA also provided training on Entrepreneurship in the second phase of the course,” Warren said.
Warren added that the group of students selected this year were extremely eager to learn and all participants were hands on in ensuring they learnt all the details they could in the limited timeframe.
35-year-old Thulisile Dube, one of the female participants was questioned about her involvement in the programme. She said, “This is truly a great opportunity for us. I have learnt so much and the practical nature of the course has allowed me to learn much quicker. Through being shown how to screen print, I was even able to print my own T-Shirt at the end of the first phase of training. I feel like I now have so much to offer and am excited to start my putting my skills into practise”.
Printing SA is a registered trademark of the Printing Industries Federation of South Africa NPC. Visit their website for more information: http://www.pifsa.org/