Western Cape Business 2020 edition

OVERVIEW
A new welding academy in
Thornton was opened with
support from the merSETA
(Manufacturing, Engineering and
Related Services SETA). Northlink
College is in the northern suburbs
of Cape Town.
Outside of the Cape
metropole, Boland College looks
after Stellenbosch, Worcester,
Paarl and Caledon, while the
Southern Cape College covers
a wide area, from George to
Beaufort West. The West Coast
College also has a big catchment
area. Boland College participates
in an Expanded Public Works
Programme (EPWP) run by the
South African Chefs’ Association.
Airports Company SA (ACSA),
the City of Cape Town and False
Bay TVET College in Westlake
have combined to offer residents
of Blikkiesdorp a chance to learn
skills in brick-laying, housebuilding,
scaffolding and health
and education. ACSA is investing
R5-million in the 12-month
certification project and the
Construction Education and
Training Authority (CETA) will
channel funds to False Bay TVET
College for training.
SARETEC offers industry-specific
training in a new
economic sector. The South
African Renewable Energy
Technology Centre is managed
by the Cape Peninsula University
of Technology (Bellville
campus) but it collaborates
with several other institutions
and private companies.
Online learning is one of the
world’s fastest-growing sectors
and the investment of $3-million
by Construct in a new Cape
Town office is evidence that
the trend has come to the Western Cape. The Construct Learning Lab
supports universities in Boston, Doha and Oxford as well as companies
and government bodies. The company expects to increase its staff
complement by 150 over three years.
Universities
Two Western Cape research institutions have made large investments
in research infrastructure. A new Biomedical Research Institute is
being built by Stellenbosch University at a cost of R1-billion and the
University of Cape Town plans to move its Neuroscience Institute,
which it runs in partnership with Groote Schuur Hospital, into a new
building. An innovation laboratory, clinical and training spaces and
an innovation space where researchers can interact are part of the
plans for the new facility.
The 2018 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings,
ranked the University of Cape Town in the top 200 universities in the
world and the top-ranked institution in Africa. The rankings are based on
six indicators: academic peer review, faculty/student ratio, citations per
faculty, employer reputation and international student ratio .
These three institutions, plus the Cape Peninsula University of
Technology, produce approximately 12 000 science, technology,
engineering and mathematics graduates every year and host 11 000
students from other African countries.
The University of Cape Town has more than 21 500 students, 720
permanent staff and 39 A-rated researchers (40% of South Africa’s total).
Stellenbosch University is linked to Stellenbosch’s growing reputation as
a technology hub. The University of the Western Cape is home to several
national research bodies.
University education is available in George through the Nelson
Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU): Saasveld is home to the
School of Natural Resource Management and the York Street Campus
delivers courses in business and social science, accounting and
business management.
In his first State of the Province address, Premier Alan Winde gave
notice that the Western Cape intends expanding the traditional focus
on STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) to
include other important fields where jobs can be created. Pilot projects
are in place to expand STEM to STEAMAC, with the additional two As
signifying the Arts and Agriculture and the C representing Coding and
Cloud Computing. ■
Online Resources
Apprenticeship Game Changer: www.westerncape.gov.za
Centres of Specialisation: www.dhet.gov.za
SA Renewable Energy Technology Centre: www.saretec.org.za
TVET colleges: www.tvetcolleges.co.za
77 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2020