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AMTS in Mpumalanga

AMTS PRIME in Mpumalanga

Human Capital Development (HCD) is a key issue for the Mpumalanga Provincial Government (MPG). The high unemployment levels in the Province, together with a shortage of technologically skilled manpower, severely constrain economic growth and competitiveness. Although the Province has a substantial number of students at the 11 regional Further Education and Training (FET) colleges, with the majority enrolled for engineering and business studies, a large number of prospective university students attend courses outside the Province due to the limited programmes offered by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) locally .

The Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy (AMTS) recognises the essential role of HCD in enhancing the competitiveness of the South African manufacturing sector. To ensure a holistic approach in the implementation of the AMTS, the HCD Programme for Industrial Manufacturing Excellence (PRIME) has been developed to ensure optimum transfer of knowledge and technological expertise in prioritised sectors and technologies.

In summary, PRIME is designed to enhance the competitiveness of industry by optimising manufacturing processes, introducing new manufacturing technologies and cutting costs of operation or production in SA manufacturing firms. This will be achieved by selecting the best students from mechanical; industrial and/or production engineering disciplines at SA’s TEIs and, after appropriate training, deploying them in industry on specific projects with specific competitiveness improvement objectives. These projects will be identified in conjunction with the manufacturing firm where much of the project will be carried out.

The specific objectives of the implementation of PRIME are to:

A key priority area defined in Mpumalanga’s PGDS identifies the need to position higher education institutions to meet the skills demand of the Province. The AMTS PRIME concurs with the need to better utilise the capacity of SA’s TEIs to meet the skills needs of the manufacturing industry. Thus the programme will be implemented with close linkages to all relevant TEIs and rely on the expertise of faculties and educators in identifying participants and providing both theoretical and practical support for the duration of the project. With the PRIME acting as facilitator it is anticipated that productive dialogue between industry and academia will ensure increased validation of curricula by industry as well as stimulating direction of TEI research and development to support industry requirements.

Although it will be the responsibility of the participating organisations to implement the improvements proposed by the students’ projects, it is hoped that the clear benefits of the improved productivity shown will ensure this. It is intended that the improved productivity will then enable increased competitiveness and profitability, leading to business sustainability and growth, job creation and the scope to beneficiate and/or diversify products.

The MPG’s Department of Economic Development and Planning supports skills development in trade and industry primarily through programmes established at sectoral and technology incubators . With the addition of PRIME targeted at active manufacturing organisations, Mpumalanga should realise an HCD intervention that actively contributes to the increased competitiveness, growth and development of the Province.

AMTS Flagship Programmes in Mpumalanga
The National Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy (AMTS) is a cabinet approved strategy mandated to increase the competitiveness of the Manufacturing sector through targeted, high impact technology and innovation led interventions. The implementation of the AMTS will be done through Flagship Programmes (FPs) focusing on metals, composites, electronics and advanced production technologies.

The process for selecting the FPs has evolved from the development of the AMTS in 2002/03 and has seen the integration of subsequent activities such as technology roadmaps, industry and academic submissions, literature reviews and the integration activities of the AMTS Implementation Unit.

FP to create a world class competency in advanced lightweight materials that:

• Reduces airframe weight and increases SA world market share of aero-structures;
• Reduces the weight of automotives and increases SA local content; and
• Facilitates beneficiation of local materials.
  FP to create a world class competency in advanced electronics that increases SA’s world market share of the aerospace and automotive sectors
  
  FP to develop and integrate advanced production technologies to enable SA to achieve FP targets and become a world class manufacturing nation contributing to growth, job creation and developme

The focus on the aerospace and automotive sectors is strategic and founded on their ability to support eh higher level AMTS objective of increasing SA’s Competitive Industrial Performance Index (CIPI). In addition, aerospace is considered an “enabling” sector for other manufacturing sectors given its cutting edge technology profile and use of highly skilled people; and the SA automotive sector has made great strides in process improvement and international supply chain integration. A focus on these sectors will tend to have spin-offs in many other sectors and will draw heavily on advanced materials technologies, advanced product and process technologies and ICT and electronics.

The immediate opportunities for Mpumalanga in the AMTS FPs will be in the Chemicals and Metals sectors, directed primarily at the FP for lightweight materials.

Lightweight materials, which incorporate characteristics such as improved strength, recyclability etc, offer manufacturers and consumers savings in material usage, environmental impacts and operational costs. Cost, environmental sustainability and performance are all powerful drivers of change that support the move towards lightweight materials and will drive competitiveness in the years ahead. Two material classes are the subject of interest in the AMTS FP for lightweight materials:

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