PPC has given a bold and determined commitment to building leaders for the future through the PPC Academy. Already, the academy is transforming the company and its people through life-long learning and skills development. By 2010, a total of 430 people will be trained through one of the academy’s three specialist faculties – sales & marketing, operations and mining.

The ladders of learning within PPC have the potential to take employees from ABET to a bridging programme, then on to various nationally recognised qualifications in the sales & marketing; operations as well as the mining aspects of the business.

A vital bridging programme was successfully launched in April 2007 as an accredited preparation programme to assist employees to obtain the relevant entry requirements for the academy programmes.

The bridging programme is a registered skills programme with PPC’s accredited service provider, Optimum Learning Technologies, and is offered as a three week block release programme that will take four to six months for learners to complete.

PPC launched the Sales & Marketing Academy in March 2007. Focused on developing a new breed of sales and marketing personnel, it is a first for the cement and mining industry aimed to meet the growing infrastructural development demands of South Africa.

The academy was officially opened by PPC chief operating officer, Dr Orrie Fenn and chief executive officer of Barloworld Coatings, Andre Lambrecht. The CEO of the Service SETA, Ivor Blumenthal, also attended.

The Sales & Marketing Academy is an innovative joint venture between PPC, Plascon (a division of Barloworld Coatings) and the Services SETA.

The first group of 11 PPC learners and 20 from Plascon led the way by being selected to study for the internationally recognised National Certificate: Customer Management (NQF 4). This existing qualification, hosted by the Services SETA was enhanced and customised to PPC and Plascon’s needs within the rules of the qualification. A further 20 learners are scheduled to enter the academy in 2008, 30 in 2009 and 30 in 2010.

The opening of the Operations Academy in July 2007 represents the next level in PPC’s goal of sustained success through the development of its people. The significance of the launch at the Slurry factory in Mafikeng, was highlighted by the attendance of Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana who said, “PPC’s timing could not have been more appropriate given the economic boom that we are experiencing especially in the construction sector, and the high demands and responsibilities placed on us in preparation for 2010.”

PPC has researched the ideal job profiles for the future of cement manufacturing and identified operations as one of the critical areas to be developed. At the end of an 18-month learnership, the select group of 21 learners will be the first in South Africa to receive the Further Education and Training Certificate in Carbonate Materials Manufacturing Processes on NQF level 4. The qualification has only recently been formalised and was registered with the South African Qualifications Authority in 2006, and is hosted by the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA).

A further 40 learners are scheduled to enter the Operations Academy in 2008, 60 in 2009 and 60 in 2010.

PPC is gearing up for the launch of the Mining faculty of the academy in 2008. In preparation for the mining operator programme, 15 employees are currently on, or have completed, the bridging programme. The first qualification will be the National Certificate in rock breaking.

2007 saw the launch of a two-year graduate development programme (GDP), designed and established to attract new talent from tertiary institutions across the country, in the five key disciplines critical to PPC.

• Engineering
• Production/Process Services
• Mining
• Quality
• Environment & sustainability

The end result on successful completion of a two-year programme is the channelling of professional new talent into PPC’s succession pipeline. Graduates will be site based and will learn through modules developed by PPC specialists. The GDP is an initiative that will fast-track each graduate’s career development exponentially. Continued growth and learning with PPC is guaranteed.

The universities of the Witwatersrand and Pretoria were part of a successful recruitment drive in May 2007 which was well received by students.

Further launches will be held at universities in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal by the end of this year.