TRANSNAMIB DELIVERING POSITIVE RESULTS WITH ITS HUMAN RESOURCES CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMMES THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS.
WINDHOEK, 08 February 2021: TransNamib has since 2018, and despite its limited financial resources invested over 12 million Namibia dollars in providing apprenticeships/traineeship and internships through its various strategic partnerships build with Namibian training and development institutions.
Undoing some of the legacy challenges of TransNamib over past 20 years has not been easy, but various initiatives has been put in place to support the medium to long term human resources capacity building at the company.
For the past two years, TransNamib has provided over 115 apprenticeship opportunities in the trades such as DE Fitters, Mechanics, Electricians, Track Welders and Boilermakers. These technical skills and programmes are in the format of on-the-job training, attachment programmes, academic training and internships for periods from 6 months up to 3 years between TransNamib workspace, the TransNamib training school and training institutions.
Historically, TransNamib developed and produced various technical skills and HR capacity through its internal traineeships both for its own needs, but also for various industries. As a long-term approach and strategy, the company has re- ignited this programme at a smaller scale to build more inhouse capacity.
Through its limited financial resources, the company has set up various strategic partnerships to assist in developing the required technical skills to support its 5-year business plan, but also its long-term growth prospects. These strategic partnerships include both technical, financial and administrative support that is being provided with various Training institutions such as NTA, NUST, WVTC and NIMT. The scope for training and development includes job attachments, apprenticeship programs, theoretical training and internship programmes. The training and development programmes therefore provide for the opportunity to continue working for TransNamib if there are any suitable vacancies that is available or trainees when completed with their course can then join the open job market.
Apart from the technical programmes, the company has also developed human resources within the administrative fields such as Finance, Marketing, Information Technology, Transport & Logistics, Human Resources, and Properties through internship programmes.
TransNamib has also placed emphasis on capacity building training and development programmes of its existing employees. For the first time in fifteen years the company provided the opportunity to 10 (ten) employees from various supervisory and managerial levels to participate in development programmes with the aim on broadening managers’ self-awareness, leadership attributes and management skills required in the ever-changing business environment.
More than ever before, human capital and the quality of leadership, determines the success or failure of any organisation. Human Capital development forms an important element of TransNamib’s Integrated Strategic Business Plan; therefore, the company has placed emphasis on capacity building amongst staff members and creating opportunities for the youth and unemployed in Namibia. It is against this background that, TransNamib also recently advertised its trainee train driver scheme/programme for youth between the ages of 18 and 25. The programme is deliberately designed to develop the selected trainees to qualify as train drivers’ shortest period of time.
As part of our business plan and building HR capacity specifically for train operations, we have recently embarked on a recruitment drive to build our train crew which will have to support the growth in the number of trains that we are planning to put in place within the next five years.
Mr. Webster Gonzo, Executive: Human Capital stated “It has been very difficult to develop opportunities for growth for our staff before 2018 as we had a period of 7 years with no human resources developing programmes and therefore the company has a serious deficit in the appropriate skills in many areas within the company. We have however focused on various technical programmes and partnerships during the past 24 months to create more capacity for the future development of the company”.
As TransNamib, we continue to forge ahead and transform the company and believe that our investment in our employees and the Namibian community will help us to achieve our vision in making TransNamib the preferred bulk transporter in Namibia.
Media Contact:
Abigail Raubenheimer
Manager: Corporate Communications
Email: Abigail. Raubenheimer@transnamib.com.na
Phone: 081 127 8137
