Lona Ndakisa is one of the hundreds of East London residents benefiting from the Industrial Development Zone which houses the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing plant.
East London, South Africa – Lona Ndakisa (pictured above) is an apprentice at the Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy (MBLA) in East London. She is one of many residents that are benefitting from the flagship training facility. She says that working there has become a big deal in her community because there are so many opportunities to get qualified and get a great job through Mercedes-Benz South Africa or one of their suppliers.
The technologically advanced Mercedes-Benz Learning Academy is Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s (MBSA) flagship training facility. As an important feeder of technical skills for the benefit of the South African automotive skills workforce, the MBLA also ensures skills transfer and job creation for youth.
The academy is open to students who wish to receive technical training and become qualified artisans. The training facility offers several courses including, Shopfloor Skills, Apprenticeships and Advanced Technology.
The academy was established in 2016 and has enrolled over 800 learners into their Shopfloor Skills Programme. To date, more than 522 learners have been placed in full-time jobs.
The Academy supports the provision of learners and training for a variety of external organisations – both public and private – reaching beyond the boundaries of the automotive industry and continues to play an integral role in the support of new industries entering the ELIDZ.
The existence of the Academy has proven to be a unique resource for a variety of initiatives. It is anticipated to be of huge benefit to the Mercedes-Benz Plant and its suppliers in preparation for the production of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
It is exciting that South Africa is at the forefront of building the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The Mercedes-Benz plant is set to change thousands of lives and boost the local economy.
This is excellent news, indeed!
As part of the #SAINC nation-building initiative, Mercedes-Benz South Africa is joining a network of purpose-driven brands to share stories of positive progress in South Africa. These stories are being featured across social media in small snippets, just like the one below, but you will also be able to watch the full-length features live on television. You will find the airing times below:
11 January 2020 – SABC2 – 14:30
28 January 2020 – Business Day TV – 16:00
30 January 2020 – Business Day TV – 12:00
Watch a snippet of the story below:
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