THE construction industry’s New Year resolution for 2022 should be to budget for staff training to gain a competitive edge when, hopefully, work volumes increase again in line with the government’s infrastructural development plans, and the disruptive effects of the pandemic subside.
That’s according to John Roxburgh, senior lecturer at the School of Concrete Technology (SCT), who said the 2022 Training Programme of the SCT, a division of Cement & Concrete South Africa (CCSA), has been completed and is now available.
Roxburgh says SCT is optimistic about 2022 and sees it as a year of opportunity as, hopefully, the Covid-19 pandemic will start dissipating and the South African economy starts to grow again. The SCT will continue to run its successful online e-learning courses in 2022 but also hopes to return to classroom-based lecture courses, providing Covid-19 lockdown restrictions permit, and prevailing infection rates are low enough.
“The live classes will be kept small and high demand for any specific course dealt with by scheduling more courses. However, the online platform and self-study courses are here to stay as they align themselves with modern trends in terms of remote learning and increased access to both data and smart delivery devices. E-learning and its associated benefits will form an integral part of SCT training in future.”
Roxburgh said the “acclaimed” Advanced Concrete Technology (SCT50) programme will in 2022 be run by SCT on a modularised self-study basis.
He urged the construction industry to invest in training in 2022.
“Concrete work on site is a major cost component in construction contracts. With trained staff – competent in all relevant aspects of concrete practice – contracts could be carried out more economically and quicker with fewer costly site errors and need for repairs and damage to reputations.
“Trained staff give construction companies the edge and 2022, especially, promises to separate the men from the boys when it comes to winning tenders. Spending money now on training by the School is an investment in the future of any company.”
