Many young adults not in employment, education and training (NEET) from poor communities located in the Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality will have been equipped with various building trades skills by the time the Vuna Group’s Vaalbult Colliery in Carolina, Mpumalanga, ceases operating.

Since 2014, Vaalbult Colliery has created many jobs for communities located within its operational footprint. They are directly employed by the contractors that VC Mining has engaged to mine the coal deposit for export markets as the holder of the Mineral Rights.

VC Mining was granted these rights based on obligations contained within its social-labour plan (SLP). This includes the very important human development commitment which ensures that members of host communities and from labour sourcing areas are equipped with skills that will help them to secure employment in the industry. Considering the very high levels of unemployment in many of these communities, mines cannot absorb all of these individuals and, therefore, also focus on transferring skills that can be deployed in other industries. This approach also ensures that these populations can continue earning livelihoods long after mines have closed by either finding employment at companies operating in other sectors or starting their own businesses.

Elmarie Bekker, VC Mining’s Human Resources Manager, is supervising the training which is being facilitated by a partnership between Triple E Training and Tjeka Training Matters. Both companies have a long legacy of assisting mines meet their human resources development targets established by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) in their SLPs. This while receiving strategic direction from Bekker who is also very passionate about community development.

“Considering that our colliery only has a few more years left, the DMRE advised company management to refocus our training efforts from transferring mining-based skills in communities to teaching sought-after proficiencies in other industries. Marco Maree, an Expert Training and Development at Triple E Training, introduced me to Tjeka Training Matters which offers a comprehensive range of portable skills training programmes. Their experts proposed that we teach community members building skills as there is a dire shortage of skilled workers in the industry who can work alongside competent and qualified artisans on building sites,” Bekker says.

Furthermore, the most enterprising community members will be able to sell their building services directly to customers, growing vibrant businesses overtime. As she notes, there needs to be a fundamental shift in mindset among unemployed youth from trying to secure employment in a few concentrated large companies and government agencies to pursuing entrepreneurship. This is considering the extent of youth unemployment with nearly half of all South Africans aged between 15 and 34 unemployed. A struggling economy cannot absorb all of these individuals. Even the mining sector shed just under 13 000 jobs in 2024 due to challenging operating conditions.

Considering the continued growth of townships and informal settlements due to rapid urbanisation, in-migration and shortage of housing, demand for various building trades in these areas remains very high. A skill such as bricklaying can be learnt in a short period and acquiring the correct tools and equipment does not require a high capital outlay, facilitating quick entry into this market. Individuals who have completed the training possess the correct skills to supply building services of exceptionally high quality at a competitive rate to this market, which is a major competitive edge.

“Therefore, we are not only equipping community members with marketable skills but also raising quality standards in the ‘informal’ building industry and improving access to these services in poor areas. As part of their training, individuals also learn the importance of health, safety, quality and environmental standards and how to ensure compliance, which is often lacking in the informal industry,” she adds.

To broaden the socio-economic impact of the training, community centres that require maintenance, repairs and upgrades are incorporated into the programme. These provide a fertile training ground for learners and an excellent opportunity to practice their newfound skills while working alongside Tjeka Training Matters’ facilitators, who are professional tradespeople.

For example, a large area of a school playground was paved as part of the practical component of paving portable skills training and a church that also provides early-childhood development services to about 30 children replumbed. Working alongside their plumbing skills training facilitator, learners installed new toilets, piping and replaced an old coal-burning geyser with an energy efficient electric geyser. This will also help to reduce air

pollution in the community. Furthermore, a church rectory was retiled and a new mothers’ room at another church painted.

To ensure that the training has a large impact, Bekker continues working closely with community leaders and municipalities when selecting candidates for training and identifying areas of the community that will benefit from building services.

“It is extremely important that this programme benefits as many communities as possible in Carolina where there is very high unemployment especially among youth. Therefore, we are mainly targeting youth NEET between the ages of 18 and 25 with women making up more than 50% of the individuals who have participated in the programme thus far. This is in line with  Vaalbult Colliery’s own focus on women in mining, considering that they are among the most vulnerable members of these communities, economically disempowered and usually excluded from education and training,” she says. Bekker adds that this focus is also helping women to enter the construction industry which currently only make up less than 10% of the sector’s total workforce.

Since the programme was launched last year, about 90 youth NEETS have already learnt various building skills and now hold a Tjeka Training Matters’ certificate. Some have been successful in starting their own small construction businesses or securing employment. Many more will be able to sub-contract to principal contractors involved in public sector projects. A case in point is municipal upgrades within Carolina where some of our students have already been able to secure employment. Considering the infrastructure backlog in Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality jurisdiction, she is also looking at introducing civil construction portable skills training, such as road and pothole repair, in future.

“Many more youth NEET will be recruited into the programme in line with SLP commitments. As an industry, we have to give back as the resources we mine belong to all citizens. When undertaken correctly and with passion, skills training can be a powerful tool to empower vulnerable communities and leave a lasting impact many years after the mine has closed, giving back what we’ve taken from them,” Bekker concludes.