The Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) awarded certificates to participants who completed the Contractor Development Programme’s (CDP) Advanced Training and Mentoring course at an awards ceremony at the Western Cape Sport School in Kuils River on 18 February 2022.
The course forms part of DTPW’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Participants completed the 20-month course in August 2021 which focused on enabling the advancement of contractors to the next Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grade, through mentoring and accredited training. EPWP paired CIDB Grade 3–5 GB/CE contracting enterprises with experienced mentors, and identified contractors’ accredited training needs.
Richard Petersen, Chief Director: EPWP, acknowledged the hard work, ambition and teamwork by programme participants and mentors at the event. He encouraged contractors to aim for CIDB Grading Level 6.
“The idea behind the mentoring is to help contractors become better contractors,” he said. “The mentoring was not confined to the project itself, project management, or construction management, and so on, it was intended to encapsulate all the aspects of your business,” he added.
Business owner Analisa Fete will use all the knowledge and skills she learned in the course to improve the way her business, Bahlaseli Project Development, operates.
“It (the course) has helped me to put structures and systems in place. I was running the business like I was running a spaza shop,” she said. “So now I’m able to have systems in place to help with the growth of the business.”
The EPWP team also acknowledged participants undertaking a four-week skills training programme at the event. They received certificates of completion from the Academy of Construction Skills (ACS).