Johannesburg, 2 October 2025 — The Swiss-South African Cooperation Initiative (SSACI) has launched its Just Energy Transition (JET) Project at TVET colleges in Gauteng, in the Western Cape in August, and later in October in the Eastern Cape, accelerating industry-aligned green skills for South Africa’s evolving energy economy. The initiative is delivered with Guru Group of Learning as development partner and sponsored by AUDA-NEPAD and SIFA (Skills Initiative for Africa).
Focused on practical, workplace-ready training, the JET Project equips lecturers and students with competencies for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and grid-support technologies—linking classrooms to employer demand through simulators, curriculum updates, and structured work-integrated learning.
At the Western Cape launch hosted by West Coast TVET College, SSACI Chairperson Mr Jannie Isaacs said: “A just transition must be about people—creating pathways for young South Africans to participate in the green economy with skills that employers value from day one. This partnership ensures our colleges become engines of opportunity, not just sites of instruction.”
A Western Cape Government representative added: “The Western Cape is investing in a resilient, low-carbon future. Partnerships like this close the gap between policy ambition and workplace-ready skills, enabling local businesses to hire locally trained talent and scale faster in renewables and allied services.”
Mr Bajith Panday, Technical Partner at Guru Group of Learning, noted the hands-on approach behind delivery: “Our role is to translate policy into practical capability—from simulator-based training and safety standards to employer-validated assessments. By aligning learning outcomes to real equipment and real jobs, we’re building confidence in graduates and trust with industry.”
SSACI CEO Shanita Roopnarain emphasized that rolling out across three provinces will speed up learning transfer and consistency: “By aligning training, employer partnerships, and quality assurance across sites, we’re building a repeatable model that can be adapted and scaled nationally.”
About the partners
- SSACI: A development agency focused on making youth employable through demand-led skills programmes.
- Guru Group of Learning: Technical lead for curriculum, simulations, and lecturer upskilling.
- AUDA-NEPAD & SIFA: Project sponsors enabling systems-level impact through strategic funding and oversight.
For media enquiries: info@ssaci.org.za | www.ssaci.org.za
Editor’s note: The Western Cape launch was hosted by West Coast TVET College with participation from employers, government, and sector stakeholders.
