The Dekra Institute of Learning (IOL) and Willco Safety and Training (Willco) have announced a partnership to broaden their industry training service offering, empower learners with accredited skills and improve safety in the mining, nuclear and marine/fishery industries.

Christopher Mörsner, head of the Training Division at DEKRA IOL, says, “This partnership will provide complementary and reciprocal synergies for both Dekra IOL and Willco as we are able to cater to a greater range of industries with a single-source, yet comprehensive service offering and an outstanding selection of courses supported by significant industry expertise.

“Moreover, this strategic value exchange – supported by Dekra IOL’s Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) and Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) accreditations – and Willco Training’s Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) accreditation – will see the empowerment of learners receiving the best tangible practical and online training in machinery operations; as well as safety, health, and environmental management from two professionally-accredited training institutions,” he asserts.

Additionally, as a registered Lifting Machine Entity (LME), Dekra Industrial can provide registered Lifting Machine Inspectors (LMIs) in various approved categories, to conduct comprehensive inspection and load testing services to accredited sectors in the lifting and rigging industry, completing the company’s offering as a ‘one-stop’ service provider of NDT inspection, corrosion control with rope access and drone inspection.

“Furthermore, Willco founder and co-director Willem van Niekerk’s wealth of experience, spanning more than 20 years in mining, construction and operator training and safety management, and his qualifications as an accredited course facilitator and assessor bring a unique flair – and additional benefit – to our common target markets such as mining, transport, marine/fisheries, and the nuclear power sector,” he explains.

Willco provides health and safety- related, as well as machine-operator training across the trackless mining and heavy transport industries that meet the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and Education and Training Quality Assurance (ETQA) requirements.

The two companies have successfully completed collaborative training across various sectors, including the South African nuclear industry, mining, and the marine/fisheries industry. Dekra Industrial managing director, Johan Gerber believes this partnership will have a pan-African reach too, with Dekra having run successful projects in Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to date.