BY MARTIN MULEYA.
Mutare, Zimbabwe. (News of The South)- GREEN Fuel has upped its operations by increasing the number of trainee students on-job training at its giant plant in Chisumbanje.
Initially when the Green Fuel Apprenticeship Training program started there were 32 interns and this time around the number has shot up to 36 students and the training stretches for four years, with seven females and the rest are males.
Addressing journalists who toured the plant last week, Green Fuel area training manager Vincent Moyo highlighted that his the increase on the number of trainee students at his organization has been necessitated by the need to respond to the huge brain drain that is a major
characteristic in the country that has seen large numbers of educated youths seeking employment outside the border.
“We have tried to encompass all the students from the country. Initially we only catered for those from Chipinge. This time around we have 13 from Chipinge district, 25 from the other parts in Manicaland and 10 apprentices from across the country. We blended them, though we had earmarked the program for the locals.
“Right now our focus is on the growth of the business, we have moved slightly to include multi-skills,” he said.
The apprentices will be exposed in each of the business units within the company on a rotation basis to trades like fitting, machining,
instrumentation and control techs; electrical power engineering; mil lwriting (multi-skilled); boiler making; diesel plant fitting; motor
mechanics; automobile electricians and motor cycle mechanics.
It is anticipated that the apprentices will attend college of their choice in January 2016.
Moyo remarked that in making sure that the business is growing, where the business itself should be multi-skilling entity. He noted that they have recruited 5 millwrights, in line with the technology assembled at the plant.
“Fortunately this company has introduced this program earlier than any other company in the country. If you go to Zimplats or Shabanie Mine
they do not have this program. We are saying it is pointless to hire a fitter just to join three electrical wires from Harare, it is better to have a millwright, as this will be costly,” added Moyo.
Green Fuel is the first large-scale ethanol producing factory in Africa, manufacturing anhydrous ethanol from sugarcane to supply the region with a clean, efficient and renewable fuel source.
The factory has the capacity to produce up to 120 million litres of ethanol per year as well as over 86MW of green, renewable power.
There are currently 6,000 hectares of sugar cane in the ground at Chisumbanje and 3, 500 hectares in Middle Sabi. In addition, plans are in place to incorporate the local A2 farmers (approximately 5, 000 hectares) and 47 leased farmers into the project in order to build a second ethanol plant in the area.
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