The Zest WEG Group has invested R1,5 million in the training centre at its Johannesburg head office. Accredited by the relevant SETA, the SAIEE and ECSA, the training centre offers CPD points for its various modules, developed in conjunction with WEG of Brazil.
A view of the variable speed drive training offered by the Zest WEG Group.
“Training is a vital tool to add value to a customer’s business, to keep sales staff apprised of the latest trends and developments and to help nurture the next generation of talented youngsters,” says Zest WEG Group CEO Louis Meiring.
He stresses that training is not a marketing tool. “We do not use the training as leverage to sell our products or technologies. The training period is not a sales pitch; it is strictly about adding value. We are very sensitive to that.” Such is the credibility of the training centre that it has been approached by various professional institutions.
“Supplementary to this, we have also undertaken an initiative to afford our technologists and R&D people the opportunity to address industry about new trends in product development. We have gained tremendous value out of it as it has been an invaluable source of information on how to adapt our own training, particularly as many customers are so proactive in wanting to develop their own skills and understanding,” explains Meiring.
In the 2013 financial year, the Group donated in excess of R2 million worth of product to training schools, colleges and other educational institutions. “We have identified strategic areas in the country where the need for such training equipment is the greatest, such as Mpumalanga and North West Province,” he adds.
The Zest WEG Group also provides bursaries for promising BSc graduates and opportunities for engineering technicians and apprentices. In terms of expanding its training initiatives in the future, these will continually be adapted to match the latest innovations. “For example, the latest trend in Europe is for electric motors to be more efficient than ever. We often find South Africa lagging behind Europe in this regard and as a result many of our customers are not up to date with the latest initiatives. This is why we are always on the alert to adapt our training to plug such gaps,” concludes Meiring.
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