Tjeka Training Matters revolutionises construction supervisory training at NQF Level 4 and Level 5

Construction Tenders are increasingly requiring evidence that Managers and Supervisors have completed the relevant National Qualifications. CVs of an experienced workforce alone are no longer accepted, although a large number of Construction Managers/Site Agents and Foremen have risen up the ranks in the construction industry because of the extensive experience they have gained in the workplace.

Tjeka Leadership Academy’s distance learning programmes have enabled learners to accelerate the completion of their construction supervisory skills training at a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4 and Level 5.

The distance learning programmes were initially born out of a solution devised by Tjeka Leadership Academy to provide NQF Level 5 Construction Management/Site Agent training during the hard lockdown that was implemented in the beginning of 2020 to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Several construction professionals approached the academy to devise a way for them to work towards gaining this qualification while they had time to learn during the extended period that worksites were not operational.

Considering the flexibility it offered learners, many more people enrolled for the distance training. Based on demand, Tjeka Leadership Academy also decided to launch distance learning for NQF Level 4 training for experienced construction Foremen. This method of training has since become the preferred means of completing Registered National Qualifications at NQF Level 4 and Level 5 through Tjeka Leadership Academy.

“A significant benefit of this approach to training is that individuals can complete their qualifications faster than they would in a classroom environment. They are able to work through the material whenever they can, as opposed to a classroom environment where the pace of completion is governed by that of less experienced learners. This has helped to significantly accelerate their growth and development as construction leaders and it now seems to have become the new norm to complete supervisory training at these levels via distance learning,” Kobus Brummer, Manager of Tjeka Leadership Academy, says.

However, it is merely the method of delivering the course content that has changed. Learners still receive the same quality instruction and mentorship from their experienced facilitators as they would in a classroom environment. This is provided at regular intervals via live coaching platforms, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype, as well as telephonically and via e-mail.

Learners write their exams on a quarterly basis at Tjeka Training Matters’ facilities and hand in their Site Workbooks, a record of practical on the job learning, to facilitators for assessment. Depending on the progress made, they are able to then embark on the next batch of theoretical learning modules.

“This is yet another example of how we are able to constantly adapt to the requirements of the industry to provide unrivalled construction training. Tjeka Leadership Academy has trained well over 3 000 construction supervisors for South African contractors since registering our first Learnership in 2005. NQF Level 4 Foremen and NQF Level 5 Site Agents who have been trained by the academy are able to plan, lead, organise and control to mitigate errors and improve productivity on construction worksites. This provides companies with a strategic competitive edge in the market and improves their profitability,” Brummer concludes.