To stay ahead in the industry’s war for talent, AfriSam has over the years placed skills at the forefront of its people development initiatives. With its several training programmes, the company has successfully created a pool of talent, not only to the benefit of its operations but the industry at large.
Glenn Johnson, general manager of construction materials at AfriSam, believes it is fundamental for the construction materials industry to develop people. The industry, he says, needs strong technical skills at the core of its operational excellence.
AfriSam as a leading construction materials supplier
continues to take the lead in skills development
With that in mind, AfriSam has over the years invested significantly in its in-house training initiatives, namely the Engineer-In-Training, Artisan Learnerships, Trainee Works Manager programmes and general operational training. This has recently been expanded with the introduction of the Trainee Operational Managers programme for the ready-mix business unit.
Mr Johnson explains that the Engineer-In-Training is a structured training programme for young graduates who have come through AfriSam’s bursary pipeline. “Selected individuals, those who demonstrate the best aptitude for the aggregates and ready-mix businesses, are integrated into the programme with the aim of developing a pipeline of electrical, civil, mechanical and mining engineers,” he says.
The Trainee Works Manager programme exposes candidates to all the critical aspects of works management on aggregate operations, including legal training, blasting certificates, financial management and, more importantly, people management amongst others. The Trainee Operations Manager programme follows the same pattern, but with a specific focus on ready-mix concrete production, including technical specifications, product application and customer interface. Candidates are also exposed to the financial and operational aspects of the ready-mix business.
