Ndola’s Northern Technical College (NORTEC) has partnered with Spruceland Technologies Group Limited to train over 1,000 people in Weighbridge operation, certification and accreditation.
This is the first formal training in weighbridge operation, certification and accreditation to be done in Zambia.
Majority of weighbridge operators in Zambia acquired the skill via informal training famously known as job on training.
The Zambia Weights and Measures Agency (ZMA) will be monitoring the Project regarding standards, compliance and accreditation at NORTEC.
ZMA Northern Regional manager Michael Nsefu said that it was gratifying to see creativity happening because NORTEC was a credible institution that had trained and was still training many people.
He promised that ZMA will support the joint venture between NORTEC and Spruceland Technologies Group Limited.
“We see goodwill from this network formed among us as we will see footprints of fruition. We are ready to build the full capacity and as the programme runs, we will ensure to regulate,” he said.
NORTEC, ZMA and Spruceland Technologies Group Limited have since signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Ndola.
NORTEC acting Principal Martin Kasonso said during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the three parties on Monday that the partnership and training of more than 1000 weighbridge operators would be a start of better skills training.
“We hope as we embark on this massive training programme, we will see more developed and certified operators and technicians operating the weigh bridge as they will not only have skill enhancement, but certification and approval,” he said.
Mr. Kasonso assured that the operators would be trained at full capacity and that the responsibility of the college was to ensure that quality training took place.
He said that trainees were assured of better certification and recognition as they would be given documentation to prove their skills.
“From the training point of view we are very excited as this programme will help show that these people are certified and have approved papers to man the weigh bridges,” he said.
Spruceland Technologies Group Limited chief executive officer and founder Dingiswayo Phiri said that the project was important as it was the firm’s strategic plan.
“There are a lot of people with skills that need enhancement and so we see this not only as a gain for us, but also for the people being trained. This is an opportunity for many weighbridge operators to enhance their skills,” he said.
He added that their core mandate was to ensure that many young people were given employment through skill acquisition.
This initiative must be commended. However, I’m concerned with some of the technicians that are being chained out at Nortec and Evelyn College as most of them are below the mark. Is it because we now have a very weak industrial base? Even the attachments that they undergo are nothing but just a procedure to be observed for exam purposes. Therefore the coming of Spruceland into the partnership gives hope as they know what the industry needs. Most the graduates from these institutions require the same job on training because they can’t do anything on their own. Their lecturers are even worse. I’ve seen refrigeration lecturers fail to design and install a simple cold room. Some on fix equipment in theory, the rest is guzzled down in beer
This is a signal that presumably more weighbridges and toll gates are in the offing. For job purposes this is good. To the victims – sorry – citizens: Good luck to your wallets.
When are they starting to enroll