Mercedes-Benz opens R130m Learning Academy in East London
- Published on 1 Apr 2016
- HR Pulse News Desk
Mercedes-Benz SA (MBSA) has opened the doors to its new Learning Academy in East London, construction on which started in August 2014.
The academy is the result of a R130-million joint investment by MBSA and the National Treasury’s Jobs Fund, which saw the MBSA Technical Training Centre transform into a fully-fledged Learning Academy. The original centre opened in July 1981 and for more than three decades it served as the main source of technical skills for the vehicle manufacturer’s East London assembly plant.
The joint agreement with the Jobs Fund came at a time when the rapid advancement of automotive technologies, such as robotics and automation, placed significant training demands on the MBSA manufacturing plant and the broader industry around the plant, requiring a continuous upskilling of the workforce.
The Academy currently has around 180 learners, but is expanding this number in order to have surplus capacity available to also provide artisans for the broader community. It employs 14 technical instructors.
Source: SA Labour News
