Nine senior officials from the Kruger National Park (KNP) technical services department recently completed their National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level five and level seven diploma courses and were presented with their certificates last week. "The KNP plays an important role in government's commitment to roll out initiatives like the NQF, and the presentation of these certificates is yet another achievement in this regard," said KNP's head of technical services, Blake Schraader.
Sanparks receives funding from the department of environmental affairs and tourism (DEAT) through the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) to upgrade infrastructure and it is a requirement of that fund that labour-intensive construction techniques are utilised and promoted.
It is a further requirement of the fund that project and programme managers are trained and assessed to ensure they have all the correct competencies and skills to run those projects or programmes. "All KNP technical services managers responsible for implementing EPWP programmes and projects were trained and have now acquired SITA accredited certificates of competency so that they are fully qualified to manage labour intensive programmes and projects and to develop and promote labour intensive strategies."
Officials presented with their qualifications included (level seven), Blake Schraader, Eugene Swanepoel, Derek Visagie, Kobus Wepener, (level five), Coenie Coetzer, Eddie Campos, Ronnie Green, Suweer Mewalal and Aurel Nyambi.
The KNP also runs an emerging contractor development programme which trains entrepreneurs to manage and tender for major civil work and many of the recent developments in the park - eg the Skukuza Day Visitors' Centre - have been built by emerging contractors.
