Green projects at Northlink College

Start of Northlink Green Skills Initiative SOITEC The Soitec project and it’s approach was one of the first Green Skills projects that Northlink has managed. Northlink provided the services as follows: Training of lecturers to work on the project in conjunction with Concentrix and Soitec who provided the manufacturing technology and products. Recruitment of students to be trained for the Soitec installation project. Create a short course that can respond to the skills needed by a candidate to work on a CPV plant installation. The establishment of a workshop in Touwsrivier to train the local candidates The project has produce 30 trained student, where 18 are currently working on the CPV PLANT site and 12 are still busy with training

Establishments of Green Team Northlink appointed a Green Marshal for each of our campus to promote and plan greening projects that includes ideas to reduce waste and save energy etc. Created a special team to deal with the development of the centre for the training of Green Skills in renewable energy at Belhar campus. The team will also work with all our green stakeholder (Industry) to ensure that we can assist or train according to the standard required by the industries. The team immediate work was as followed: Identify project Strengthen relation with partners Train lecturers Start offering short course from July 2014

Two Projects Identified Solar Thermal Installation and Maintenance course  Start date –01 July 2014  Already Accredited  Staff training required  Budget to be drawn up  Infrastructure required Solar Photo Voltaic Installation and Maintenance course  Start Date 01 July 2014  Accreditation sort from QCTO/Merseta  Staff trained  Budget to be drawn up  Infrastructure required

Partner Identification

Partners identified GIZ SARETEC WCED DHET EWSETA,MERSETA, CHIETA,CETA SOITEC (CPV PROJECT) BLACKBURN COLLEGE BRITISH COUNCIL GWENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE ELLIES ELECTRONICS JEZREEL EDUSCIENCE PV/THERMAL SOLAR PANEL SUPPLIERS INVERTER SUPPLIERS SOLAR PANEL INSTALLERS FOR JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNERS

What have we achieved to date Venue identification

Venue Identification

Solar Equipment on site

Solar Panel Mounting

Our Green Launch Northlink goes green officially Our CEO launches the Green projects

Challenge from FET Northlink college with renewable energy project Relation with seta/DHET  It is a challenge to find a South African register qualification that responds to the customer needs when it come to Renewable Energy Green Skills.  Lack of involvement by Seta’s in the Renewable Energy Projects that are currently in progress in the country.  Lack of learning material and local content to train Micro or Macro user of the Renewable Energy Green Skills.  Most seta’s are not involve d in Renewable Energy Projects, they may spend money on curriculum development but their presence and assistance to IPP or community project are still insufficient.  Seta’s must be a leading partner in providing assistance to all the Renewable Energy Projects in the country  Seta’s should assist to ensure that there is Skill transfer to the South African worker while the project is in progress by providing necessary register course s to the IPP that can also assist the FET Colleges.  If Seta’s are involve in renewable projects, then they will be able to assist FET College to establish Workshop Infrastructure that can respond to Renewable Energy Green Skills needs.

Challenge from FET Northlink college with renewable energy project Relation with the IPP(Independent Power Producer)  Many of IPP’s are required to train and employ persons from the local communities while building a Renewable Energy plant, Seta’s should support IPP’s to fund such training needs and where possibly the Work Integrated learning of the Learners. Local Communities are putting Pressure on the IPP’s to train and employ more persons on Renewable Energy Projects but IPP’s are in some cases unable to fund this.  All training provided must be accredited via a Seta and aligned to South African NQF to allow a learner to access further learning to complete a Qualification.  The relation between IPP and FET College can be the way forward to producing more Certified Renewable Energy Technicians to assist with the Green Skills demand.  We need to work together to achieve this goal and assist our community  Many of the Projects are short term, but the skill the transfer can occur is immeasurable.

conclusion We have many obsolete SAQA register Renewable Energy qualification, most of the programmes do not relate to the south African context. Qualification where copied from European standards with entry requirements way above our South African context for learners to register for such a program. Many of the qualification refer to High Levels of Skills Requirements like Service Technician /Process Controllers/Technician. This does not refer directly to the work done bythe candidate while they are building a power station or even the recognition of skills obtain while working on such plant. It’s extremely important that the Seta assists: Modular or Unit Standard based training that can lead to a full qualification Source FET college to train these modules on all levels according to the IPP standard Assist communities and be part of the projects, Promote Renewable Energy Green Skills as a new career path To assist QCTO/SAQA to Pilot the register qualifications, so that the Qualifications may be amended to address Industry standards and local conditions. It is estimated that thousands jobs could be created in the new Green Economy by 1.the installation and maintenance of solar (pv) and thermal systems/Biomass. 2.retraining unemployed/ retrenched workers from redundant industries Thanks Henri mafoumba

Thank you