"Course is registered," says college

The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education Training Authority (Merseta) confirmed that the course did not appear on its system, but head of the artisan programme and Troyeville Campus college head Craig Pereira denied the allegation.

"We spoke to them some time ago," he said. "We told them we wanted to take learners in for artisan development programmes. We also gave a range of unit standards."

Students said they were given Merseta forms only after Sowetan sent a query to the department. "It is going to enrol the students for three months retrospectively, and they will be on its database. "The course is registered by SAQA. We took them for emergency services training and have taken them to companies for excursions just to see how things work," Pereira said.

But the students refuted his claim. "We have only done firefighting. We have not done anything linked to the courses we do as artisans."

Department of higher education spokeswoman Manana Makhanya said: "The department is in the process of verifying the allegations regarding artisan development training at the Central Johannesburg College."

Referring to the class issue, Pereira said the students were placed temporarily at Central College in Ellis Park and will later move to the Riverlea branch. He said the students had unfair expectations.

"The programme only gets funding from the government to pay those who are placed. The Skills Development Act (1998) requires that for any artisanal programme, a training agreement be entered into by three parties - the student, the college and an employer," Makhanya said.

Makhanya said the college has to offer accredited institutional training while the employer has to use an approved accredited workplace.

Source: Sowetan via I-Net Bridge