Appie Training Officers!

[Leon Sumter]

Hi Wayne
Here's a picture of your dad taken in 1981 at the Appie school. Enjoy.

[Leon Sumter]

For Wayne

[Andrew Darné]

Well there you have it... those were the days when you were still respected for your trade and you respected those who taught you no matter how 'diverse' their training methods were. The odd appie prank,  being sent from workshop to workshop to ask for a long weight or a skyhook. The occasional klap over the head for outright stupidity and tending your mentor's toolbox.
All the events and actions that taught us respect, discipline, neatness and an eye for detail accuracy.
DONT mention the appies of late... disrespectful, dissinterested, undisciplined and couldn't care less. They are now the protected specy and you dare try and enforce discipline on the job... it's an absolute shame, since these folk just drag the name of tradesmen through the gutters.

Now I feel better...

LONG LIVE THE TRADES viva CDM Appies!!!!

[Clive Symes]

Beleive me when I say that it was a pleasure to present a SIMPLEX SKYHOOK to an artisan stupid enough to ask me for one.
Remember I started my apprentiship later than most & had worked in various other areas on the mine, aquiring some idea of what I was letting myself in for.

Yesterday while cleaning out the garage I came across the SIMPLEX SKYHOOK I kept in my toolbox for just such occasions ( will take a photo later to day and post the much maligned SKYHOOK)

Andrew you are right about the quality of some of the current artisans, I blame a lot of it on the fact that everyone looks on themselves as LEARNERS ( and blames things on the fact that I am only learning) for "FACTS" sake take some responsibility. Once qualified we all continue to learn, and get better at the work we do, if we have the right attitude towards gaining experience.
I have recently finnished commissioning a unit which realy "MISSED" me off.
Given a punch list, the "artisan" could'nt even ensude that all the pipe flanges were bolted up tight. Rubber gaskets were inserted in some places even when the punch list specified Klingerite. Signs which should have been stuck on were riveted ( and not even in a straight line) this was after having done 5 similar units where all the other signs were stuck on.

I can go on but it just gets my blood pressure up.


However looking on the good side, good artisans get to keep their jobs and move on to better things, its a pity that the average age of good artisans is rising.

[Leon Sumter]

Unfortunately what has happened over the last few years is that the large parastatals have cut down on their training. i.e reduced number of apprenticeships. Smaller companies specialise and therefore are not able to provide comprehensive training in all the aspects of any trade. Hence the introduction of 'learnerships', where we now have the 'learner (pronounced 'lenar') syndrome'. In addition companies that have the resources to provide apprenticeship training are also opting for 'learnerships' because of the '1 year only per level contractual obligation' between themselves the learner and the training provider (Technical College) instead of the 3 year contractual obligation of an apprenticeship. Learnerships have to a large extent failed to address the serious shortage of artisans. Learnerships are also totally bogged down with beaurocratic red tape and the actual trade training at the end of the exercise leaves a lot to be desired. There is thus recently a strong call from many parties to revert back to the old apprentiship system allbeit in a more structured fashion. The biggest disaster to hit the RSA is the (messed up) Outcomes Based Education (OBE) system introduced in 1998. We all wait with bated breath for the results of the current grade 12 results (1st OBE grade 12 learners). The ANC realise that there are some fundamental flaws with the (messed up) OBE system and are desparately looking at ways to fix up the mess and at the same time not lose face.
My rant for the day
Leon

PS When I look back at the training we received at CDM in the old days I realise how truly blessed we were.

[Clive Symes]

I can only agree with you Leon.

Looks like we are singing from the same song book.

Having been involved with the training of draughtsmen, I fear we are in a similar situation there. Some years back Kenny Ramage and I visited The De Beers Drawing office and discowered the the average age of draughtsmen at the time was in the late 40's early 50's. Since then there has been an explosion in training facilities, unfortunatly producing mainly CAD operators and not draughtsmen.

With regards to the OBE system it always looked flawed to me.

I thing the ANC instead of wanting to save face, should start by solving the problem and getting todays kid the best education they can, even to the extent of reintroducing 5 year apprentiships for those 16 years and older, that are good with their hands. These youngsters could then do their NTC I  II  III during their training, while at the same time they would be off the streets & earning some money.

Thats my bitch for the day, Anyone else ??

[Leon Sumter]

Clive, the sad news is that the old N1 to N6 Certificate courses are being phased out as we speak. 2008 is the last year for N2, next year N3 goes, and so on until N6 is also gone.
In the place of the old N1, N2 Block Release System all Further Education Training (FET) Institutions (i.e. Technical Colleges) now offer a 3 year full time 7 subject National Certificate Vocation (NCV), very similar to the old trade school qualification except with a lot more workshop experience. School leavers with grade 9 Maths and Science feed into this new system. The idea behind the NCV program is that once a learner obtains the exit level qualification the learner goes into an internship and then supposedly does a trade test and then supposedly becomes an artisan, the emphasis on the word 'supposedly'.
That's my gripe for today. (rant, bitch, gripe we're running out of words here Clive)

[Clive Symes]

Need some additional words:

Pontificate
Fume
Fustian
Babble
Harangue
Bluster
Bombast
Rave
tirade
Badger
Heckle


Hell we can even hound them about the new systems of training

[Leon Sumter]

very good Clive. Let's see what the Grade 12 results look like when they are released on the 31 December (Conveniently after Christmas)

[angus Buchanan]

Hi Leon & Co.
I would like to add my bit to the quality of "artisans??!!" today. We have helpers that have "helped" an artisan for a few years - goes for trade test and passes" Instant ARTISAN - what does that tell you? the quality of testing has obviously dropped dramatically. Remember the days when people had to go for a few attempts before passing (not because we were stupid - quality of testing being the reason). The quality of all trades has dropped and there is no sense of pride etc in their work they are only there to go through the motions and collect their pay, no commitment at all. We were very lucky at CDM - the quality of our training was good and we had a varied range of training - something that you do not see out here. A great pity as the trades are being taken over by incompetent and uncommited "artisans" that in the end give us all a bad name. This is all to make it easier for the others. My gripe for the day - Wishing you all a merry Christmas and all the best for 2009

Regards Gus

[SandyB]

I have  the nightmare ..  me  from the electrical trade  , and yes our  training  was wide and varied  and very much to our  benefit ... been  in production management  for the last 24 years ..  and  to say the least a lot of the artisans that pass through  our  factory  just do not inspire confidence .. I find myself sometimes  lecturing and double checking them like a damm schoolmarm  cos i dont want a wrong  or  sloppy diagnosis of a  machine problem  or  some  piece of expensive machinery    wrecked . ( has happened before )   sure  one could say   well why not do it yourself  ( something i feel tempted to sometimes )  but then  what  they paid  for ? and  although me not afraid of getting hands dirty what  about me neglecting the duties that I'm paid for ??   so I find many a time I will be babysitting an  artisan through a problem ..  it  has its  rewards  sometimes .. cos if they absorb the logic of what  I'm passing on while doing the babysitting then  at  least they benefit long term ...
Frighteneing is the amount of  PLC , servo motor  control of machinery now .. and  good technicians to work on that  is a kind of hens teeth situation ... and they demand top dollar ... I have been  throwing the strong  suggesttion that  we  maybe  do the top dollar and make him  electrical  foreman ( a working one )
Aagh !  aagh !!  gnashing of teeth ...   where do we win ..??  too many of the the  young ones nowadays  want to either  become  nothing  or  hotshot  lawyers  or  financial  whizzkids  of the  dream world they see  no the box .. ..

[Leon Sumter]

it's a lot to do with the perception that there is no "bling" in being an artisan. Afterall who the hell wants to get their hands dirty or have to figure out and fix a complex piece of machinery costing hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Rands under extreme pressure and no appreciation from the client.
Us guys are a breed fast becoming extinct.

[Andrew Darné]

Clive, Leon, Angus and Sandy... you've seen it and been there. Amazing how many sups feel like Sandy about the do-it-yourself bit, but sure, why DO they get the pay... the same goes for fellow artisans who have to carry the dregs; they don't get the balance of the other guy's wages for making up for his shortcomings.
As Leon puts it the young folk of today prefer "high profile" careers, but don't fret fellow tradesmen... the phoenix will rise from the ashes of todays remnants. If the economy continues with it's current trend, we will soon be using those first-learnt filing skills to sharpen our axes for the firewood. Tomorrow's artisan will be thinking for himself... wind generator, waterwheel and....

Sounds a bit like the Amish... back to the horse and cart!

Glad to hear I'm not the only sod out there who has noticed the quality decline...

May 2009 bring some better potential to the trade schools...!

[Carl Wrbka]

Clive, the sad news is that the old N1 to N6 Certificate courses are being phased out as we speak. 2008 is the last year for N2, next year N3 goes, and so on until N6 is also gone.

Too true, Leon. Companies like Sasol were the first to start phasing out the N6 Diploma in the '90s allready! After all the effort in getting my diploma in '93 I was told that in order to climb the ranks in the company I would now need to go the Technikon route... And to top that off, the Technicons stopped their N6 / T3 conversion course shortly thereafter, so I was forced to start all over again at the beginning.

Like they say, the difference between a student and a learner is that a student is expected to pass at the end... 202

[Leon Sumter]

right guys so there we have it. the Grade 12 results are crappy despite the education Minister trying to 'whitewash' the issue. These 'lenars' will feel the pain when they commence their Techinicon/University studies.