As part of the Gautrain concession agreement, Bombela CJV, the contractor for the project, has been committed to providing skills development and women’s learnership and mentorship. According to the Gautrain website, during the peak of construction a labour force of approximately 7 000 workers is to be employed. Considerable opportunity occurred for developing skills in the area of technical equipment usage as certain machinery used on the
project is fairly technical in nature and complicated to operate. Bombela CJV and its subcontractors ensure that the operators of the equipment are fully trained and capable of handling the machinery.

“The construction boom in South Africa has led to a scarcity of sufficient and competent staff and operators in the civil and mining industry. To ensure competence of all unskilled workers, they have to be trained in basic skills,” says the website. The Bombela’s in-house training initiative contributes in helping with enlarging the pool of semi-skilled workers, as well as creating training and work opportunities for unskilled and unemployed workers. By March 2008 approximately 1,600 workers had completed training in various construction-related skills. Bombela CJV’s deputy project director Joos Marais says the diversity of the project required that they have different training and assessment providers to ensure skills development in their respective areas of specialisation.

“The providers have formed a joint venture and regular training takes place at Bombela’s training centres, and on site. “Human resource development remains a key aspect of Bombela CJV’s commitment to the successful completion of the Gautrain project,” says Marais. Specialised civil construction training takes place at the Apex training plant and heavy machinery operators are mainly trained at the Kynoch facility. “Here, operators of excavators, front-end loaders, mobile cranes, dozers and skid-steers learn how to best perform their functions, with the least impact to the environment,” Marais explains.

The Goldfields academy provides employee learning solutions and all staff working in the tunnels and shafts receive skills development and training in compliance with the provisions of South Africa’s Mining Health and Safety Act.

Assistance with the operation of the highly advanced tunnel boring machine and the development of NQF-aligned learning material for all new mining related equipment was also provided.

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