Emerging SMEs were celebrated at the Metals Innovation Hub Exhibition and Certification ceremony on August 27 at the SEIFSA Training Centre in Actonville.

The event celebrated the first 15 incubation start-ups to take part in the Metals Innovation Hub Incubation Programme, sponsored by the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA), merSETA and Thuthukisa.

The entrepreneurs presented the businesses they have built as part of the programme, displaying the innovation, discipline and resilience required to establish and run an SMME.

Rajendra Rajcoomar, Director at Thuthukisa, welcomed guests to the “first cohort of participants in this ground-breaking project”.

He said the project is aimed at addressing South Africa’s challenging economic environment, including anaemic GDP growth, the high unemployment rate and geopolitical tensions and wars. 

“Our local unemployment numbers have reached unprecedented levels especially amongst the youth. Today we are faced with daily company retrenchments leaving a country at the brink of an economic and social catastrophe.”

The programmed, which was aimed at unemployed youngsters, is inclusive and accessible, training people of all backgrounds and abilities, including those with disabilities who want to pursue entrepreneurship and “make a meaningful contribution to the economy and to the social upliftment of the country”, said Rajcoomar.

Participants on the 12-month programme are evaluated and assessed to ascertain their interests and skill level.

SEIFSA CEO Lucio Trentini congratulated the successful entrepreneurs, mentioning his organisation’s commitment to the “flagship Training Centre that continues to churn out graduates that have gone on to do great things in the sector”.

“Some have gone into industry as highly sought after artisans. Some have graduated up the business ladder to the point that over time they have become leaders of their businesses; and others have taken the bold and courageous step to start their own business.”

He also stressed the challenges South Africa faces, including the 30% tariffs imposed by the United States and how they will exacerbate unemployment and weak economic growth.

“With our economy not growing at the rate that it should be and with all these challenges hovering on the horizon, SEIFSA has reaffirmed its commitment to doing whatever it can to tackle our country’s joblessness rate and skills deficit.

“The SEIFSA Training Centre will continue to stand tall and reaffirm its core mandate to train for the industry, with a focus on our youth, as we prepare for the South Africa of tomorrow,” said Trentini.

The Training Centre, which is managed and operated by Thuthukisa, offers apprenticeships in 10 trades based on the new Occupational Curriculum. It offers apprentice training and the following interventions:

• Occupational qualifications;
• Part qualifications;
• Artisan Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL);
• Trade proficiency assessment services;
• Trade testing for contractual learners and non-contractual learners;
• Assessment and trade testing of non-contractual learners;
• Continuous upskilling of artisans on advanced skills;
• Short courses;
• eLearning;
• Business Incubation; and
• Entrepreneurship Development, recruitment, and placement of learners.