His Excellency Minister Ching-Lin Tsuei from the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) was on Thursday 21^st March 2024 at Gwamile VOCTIM for the welding workshop handover ceremony. He was sandwiched by His Excellences Mr. Phila Buthelezi, the Minister of Labour and Social Security, together with Mr. Owen Nxumalo, the Minister of Education and Training. The welding workshop has been upgraded with state of the art welding equipment worth about 5.1 million Emalangeni.

The workshop has been fitted with seven set of latest welding equipment and one multi-purpose Lincoln Electric welding machine worth about E600 000. This machine can weld almost every metal and comes also with a plasma cutter. Within each of the seven sets of welding equipment’s; there is the electric arc welding inverter, aluminum MIG welder and TIG welder. The college was further supplied with a two-year supply of welding consumables inclusive of gas cylinders worth over E180 000, metal sheets and some hand power tools. The equipment is aimed at improving the quality of training at the college and further uplift the standard of the skill in trade testing.

All the equipment is working very well and had been used by the DIVT to conduct trade testing. The trade testing was held between February 08 through to 16, 2024 and were also fully funded by Taiwan Technical Mission’s TVET project. There were 54 artisans (six groups of 10 artisans) that had successfully attended the trade test for Grade III Gas/Electric Welder. Actually, 60 artisans were expected at the test but six of them didn’t show up due to various reasons. The artisans were from various institutions and companies like Mpaka Vocational Training Centre and His Majesty’s Correctional Services. Out of the 54 artisans, only 32 passed the trade test. One group from Mpaka Vocational Training Centre that had taken the test on February 14 demonstrated excellent performance with an 80% passing rate. Their instructor had once attended a two-week intensive training at the college through the support of the Taiwan Technical Mission.

The 32 candidates who passed the trade test had all been invited to the colourful handover ceremony at Gwamile VOCTIM and were all important guest for the occasion. The Minister of Labour and Social Security, with assistance from the Minister of Education and Training and the ROC embassy’s Minister Ching-Lin Tsuei issued out the certificates to the artisans and had the opportunity to take pictures with the honourable ministers.

The Minister of Education and Training Mr.  Owen expressed his thanks to the Republic of China for their continued generosity in the college as well as the entire education sector. The minister had the opportunity to tour the automotive department where new engine stations had also been donated. He further toured the refrigeration and programmable logic controller’s laboratory with the electrical department and expressed his utmost appreciation to the Taiwan Technical Mission.