IRESA Kick-Off 2024 with Barry Chapman

“TVET / Dual Training is 100% the way of the future. Be that company in the private sector that opens up to upskilling through TVET training.”

– Barry Chapman

 

This is how “plumbing boss extraordinaire” Barry Chapman concluded his keynote during the IRESA Kick-Off Event on 26 April 2024 at the Hillside View Campus of Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein.

The Initiative for Responsible Economy South Africa is a part of the Vocational Education and Training Partnership between KH and Motheo TVET College, bringing together vocational training providers as well as the private sector to uplift TVET training in South Africa.

Mr. Chapman passionately spoke about his career to become a master plumber and his commitment to the practical training of apprentices / students in the trade of plumbing. He went on about how his involvement with KH and the German dual apprenticeship system began through KH’s partnership with UmFolozi TVET College.

Philip Swart, Assistant Director Academic at Motheo TVET College was also able to give the participants from the private sector an insight into the current TVET system at Motheo TVET College.

During the event, the workshops on Campus were open to everyone and a lively discussion ensued, providing all participants with a platform for their ideas on IRESA.

 

Full Interview with Barry Chapman for The Afternoon Show with Dave Charles (30 April 2024)

Grand Opening of NADA at Motheo TVET College

The National Artisan Academy was inaugurated on 1 March 2024 with great fervour and anticipation by the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Director-General, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi: “The aim is to produce 30 000 artisans every year by 2030 , as they are currently producing 20 000 artisans per year nationally.”
It’s the beginning of a new chapter, supported by KH project plannings, in South Africa’s commitment to excellence in education and the empowerment of its citizens through skill development and a significant milestone in South Africa’s commitment to enhancing vocational skills, training and education.

“CONGRATULATIONS, MOTHEO TVET COLLEGE!”

Our partner academy will serve as a bridge, connecting the aspirations of the youth with the opportunities that a modernized, skill-based economy can offer. We are proud to support these goals with our Partnership Program.

Frank Tischner on Expert Mission in South Africa

During the past week, Frank Tischner, CEO of Kreishandwerkerschaft Steinfurt Warendorf, worked as a short-term expert for the Vocational Education and Training Partnership (BBP) with Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
The week-long expert mission included meetings with private sector organisations and local authorities, such as the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades & Occupations), which primarily focused on future training course design. Management lectures, for example at the college itself, were also part of the agenda.
During an appointment at the German Embassy in Pretoria, Mr Tischner spoke with BZM consultant Fabian Kyrieleis about the excellent cooperation with Sequa and the embassy as well as the international commitment of KH and especially the partnership with Motheo TVET College. Mr Tischner also welcomed the project’s new long-term expert, Ms Katja Lommetz, and introduced her to the local team involved in the project.
Frank Tischner summarises: “It was a very good, yet exhausting and also very impressive mission.”
The project plannings for 2024 have thus been finalised and the practical work can now be tackled with heart and hand.

Frank Tischner shares a detailed documentation of his expert mission on his LinkedIN page:

From Theory to Practice

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In 2023, the motto for us and our partners in the respective projects was: “Hands on!”
Our Vocational Education and Training Partnership (BBP) with AMER and the IICM in Mozambique entered its second phase, while the BBP with Motheo TVET College in South Africa was launched. The year 2024 will now be all about implementing the activities laid out in 2023.
Back in November, Frank Dorstel, master car mechanic and service manager at Autohaus Berkemeier, was on an expert mission to our partner institute IICM in Maputo, Mozambique. Among other things, a concept for the advanced training of vocational school teachers was developed. A workshop check-up was also carried out, in which the workshop organisation and equipment were analysed and suggestions for improvement were developed.
Our TVET partner in South Africa, Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein, will primarily focus on networking with the private sector under the IRESA umbrella in this year. Expert workshops on site are also scheduled to be held.
Frank Tischner and Jörg Kersten conducted a successful marketing workshop in Jordan with their expert mission at the Aqaba National Vocational Training Hub (ANVT). Further specialist workshops are planned for 2024.
We look forward to a productive 2024 and successful projects with our partners and colleagues!

Successful Delegation Visit from South Africa

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Last week, a prestigious delegation from South Africa visited Kreishandwerkerschaft Steinfurt Warendorf. The guests from the vocational education sector and the private economy visited companies and training centres in the districts of Steinfurt and Warendorf together with the KH International Team.

During several discussions on topics relating to the vocational training systems in both countries, the guests from the BBP’s vocational education partner Motheo TVET College, the South African Department of Higher Education and Training DHET, the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations QCTO, the plumbers’ professional association IOPSA as well as the trucking organisation SA Truck Bodies were able to familiarise themselves with the upcoming visits to companies and vocational training institutions.

Interesting and targeted expert discussions ensued during the visits, which, among others, included the Bäumer car dealership and the Steinfurt Jobcenter, providing the delegation participants with plenty of input to take home with them.

IRESA Networking Event with MoU Signing

On 20 November 2023, an IRESA networking event titled Future Skills Challenges in the format of a round table discussion was held in Bloemfontein, South Africa. IRESA is a network of professional trade associations and organisations, such as our training and vocational education partner, Motheo TVET College. The Initiative for Responsible Economy South Africa was launched in 2021 by Kreishandwerkerschaft Steinfurt Warendorf and addresses topics relating to responsible economy in South Africa.

This discussion focussed on the automotive industry – Jan Shoeman, COO of the automotive industry association RMI (Retail Motor Industry), was invited as a guest speaker to provide valuable insights into future professional skills that will be required for the sustained success of the automotive industry.

The event also provided a platform for industry professionals, instructors and specialists to engage in meaningful discussions, build connections and share ideas.

A total of 36 representatives from various parts of the South African automotive industry attended the event. At the end, Mr Shoemann signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of RMI with the Principal of Motheo TVET College, Marianna Phutsisi.

Brendan Reynnolds (CEO IOPSA), Thomas Hirl, Adrian Myburgh (President IOPSA)

KH Commended, Receives IOPSA Award

The plumbing industry in South Africa is represented by a very committed professional association with the Institute of Plumbing (IOPSA). KH has been working together with IOPSA since the beginning of the first Vocational Education and Training Partnerships (BBP) with the uMfolozi TVET College in 2015. As a thank you for the many years of cooperative and focused partnership, KH has been honoured with the IOPSA Award, which Thomas Hirl, long term-expert for KH in South Africa, was handed over in Johannesburg. This is the first time that this award has been presented to a craft association in Germany by IOPSA’s President Adriaan Myburgh and Managing Director Brendan Reynolds.

“This is a great honour and recognition of our good partnership with IOPSA,” Frank Tischner and Thomas Hirl agree. International Partnerships have become an integral part of KH’s work. “I am very pleased that our work is so highly regarded,” said Thomas Hirl upon receiving the award, which will find a special place in the rooms of KH.

On the road in terms of vocational training in south-eastern Africa

KH Managing Director Frank Tischner and Aika Drescher, Head of “Vocational Training International” at KH Service- und Wirtschaftsgesdellschaft mbH, have escaped the gray and cold winter in Germany and traveled to southern Africa – not to soak up the sun and warmth (which is done automatically in the summer now prevailing there), but to strengthen and reestablish the vocational training partnerships in Mozambique and South Africa supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The first destination was Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, in order to coordinate the next three years of the vocational training partnership with the Instituto Industrial e Comercial de Matola, the Association for Renewable Energies in Mozambique (AMER), the metal construction company Belutechnica and the representatives of the Ministry in a detailed planning workshop and to plan the next measures. This was preceded by a review mission on behalf of the BMZ, which endorsed the continuation of the vocational training partnership for the next few years. At the end of the detailed planning workshop, the stakeholders signed the implementation agreement.

We then continued to South Africa via Johannesburg to Bloemfontein in the province of Freestate. After six years of partnership with uMfolozi College in Richards Bay, which was successfully concluded in 2022, Frank Tischner, Aika Drescher and KH’s long-term expert on site Thomas Hirl met with the new vocational training partner, Motheo TVET College, to plan cooperation for the next three years here as well. On behalf of the South African partners, the chairwoman of the academic board Prof. Dipiloane Phutsisi and Peter Makae from the school management as well as sequa project manager Christine Wolf participated in the workshop, moderated by Eckard Schleberger, who had already been helpful during the first educational partnership of KH in South Africa. The goal of the planning is to help the college improve demand-driven training with a focus on skilled trades to provide graduates with better employment opportunities and open up prospects for self-employment. Among other things, curricula will be developed to meet the needs of the public and private markets.

Then Frank Tischner has a workshop in Johannesburg and an exchange with the five South African professional associations within the framework of the ISESA initiative founded by the KH on the agenda, and finally a meeting with representatives of the South African Ministry of Education in Pretoria, before returning to cold Germany after very intensive days.

Vocational training partnership in South Africa successfully concluded

Six years ago, the Steinfurt Warendorf District Guild of Craftsmen began its vocational training partnership with uMfolozi College in Richards Bay / South Africa with the signing of the cooperation agreement.

Now Frank Tischner, CEO of Kreishandwerkerschaft Steinfurt Warendorf, and Aika Drescher, Head of international Projects, traveled to South Africa for the final workshop. Together with the long-term expert on site Oliver Petzold, they presented the results of their work to the inspection commission for the district craftsmen’s association. It is with pride and melancholy that this partnership will soon come to an end: with pride, because much has been achieved, even beyond the targets, and with melancholy, because friendships and personal connections with great appreciation have also developed over these years.

The history of this vocational training partnership, which was supported by the BMZ, the goals as well as the results were summarized clearly and condensed in the booklet “Evolve together” and can be downloaded here as a PDF.