Theoretical training makes all the difference in priming South Africa’s future for brighter and greater opportunities in the local construction industry. Workplace experience assists them in acquiring practical training, but most critically, to complete their trade tests as well as qualify for professional registration. Such opportunities are hard to come by, which is why we established the cidb Skills Development Agency, to connect graduating students with potential employers.

The cidb Skills Development Agency utilises an electronic registration system to connect learners with employers.

The cidb Standard for Developing Skills guides the construction industry on how to use infrastructure projects to build skills through workplace training opportunities for young people. The Standard will become mandatory for all public sector institutions implementing construction projects above R60 million, starting in April 2021. The schedule of when various clients must start incorporating the Standard in their projects was published in Government Gazette 43726 by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister on 18 September 2020. 

Through the SDA and the Standard for Developing Skills, the cidb assists clients and contractors to: 

• prepare training plans for registered learners, including details of the scope of experiential work to be covered and expected outcomes;
• register learners with the appropriate Sector Educational and Training Authority established in terms of the Skills Development Act of 2008 (Act 37 of 2008); 
• develop and maintain a database of eligible learners;
• arrange medicals for learners pre and post placement; 
• record and track issuing of personal protective equipment and tools;
• record learner attendance, leave and site incidents 
• liaise with the supervisor to monitor and track onsite training progress of learners;
• liaise with the site supervisor to arrange for summative assessments at appropriate stages of the training; 
• provide trade testing opportunities for qualifying learners, including provision for pre-trade test assessment and top-up training; and
• liaise with the supervisor to prepare reports for the employer’s representative and cidb at practical completion of the contract.