Introduction

The West Coast Welding School was established in 2006 in Vredenburg through a joint partnership between the West Coast College, the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services SETA (merSETA) and the South African International Institute of Welding (SAIW) with an investment of R2.85 million made by MerSETA.

The decision to place the project at the West Coast was a response to the emerging engineer related services hub that was designed to provide for world class oil and gas related port side infrastructure. It is accredited with Merseta, Services Seta and the South African Institute of Welding to be able to train in an international standard (SAIW). It is a designated trade test centre.

According to the Western Cape Micro-Economic Development Strategy (MEDS) Synthesis Report of 2006, one of the main challenges that faced the Cape Oil and Gas Supply Initiative (COGSI) was to generate growth and employment, the need for an optimally located fabrication hub supported by a dedicated SA Oil and Gas Alliance (MEDS Synthesis Report 2006: 68 & 69).

To this end the West Coast College offered a Fabrication Learnership in partnership with the MerSETA and the then Umsobomvu Youth Fund, which has meanwhile collapsed into the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) had a big focus on the expansion of the Welding Centre to ensure that skills development is aligned to the MEDS and national needs as outlined by the national human resource development strategy (WCED Annual Report, 2007/08:8).

Programmes

The main welding programmes include: