From back yard to big time for KZN young

Young township or rural car mechanics in KwaZulu-Natal could soon make the big time with the provincial government.

Sihle Zikalala, MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs, has revealed a government garage programme to recruit and train "back yard mechanics" in the province.

"The government will then build auto-service parks where all government vehicles will be serviced and repaired by these recruits.

"These government auto-service parks will be run by the government and will be registered so that even insured private cars can use their services," he said.

Zikalala said his department would soon sign a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Labour, which will provide funding for training.

The Transport Education Training Authority will run the training.

Zikalala's office said the mechanics' training programme would be phased in "slowly".

Spokesman Bongani Tembe said the government garage plan forms part of an "intervention" to aid the localisation of the economy.

"This project, besides increasing skills of local mechanics, and creating jobs, will ensure that the government invests in the communities instead of taking its cars to companies not located within the communities," he said.

Zikalala has budgeted R94-million over three years to train 3425 young people in technical skills such as diesel mechanics, boilermaking, fitting and turning, plumbing, steelwork, bricklaying and concrete work.

He said the training programme was linked to job placements, so skills did not go to waste.

"We trained 1050 entrants in 2015 and 1125 in 2016. The target for 2017 is 1250, plus employment placement," Zikalala said.