Redundant vehicle now for skills training at high school
(8 June 2020)

A vehicle that served the CNUC Rössing Uranium for more than 10 years and travelled thousands of kilometres, was donated to the Coastal High School today, and is now to serve as a skills training tool for the auto mechanic learners at this Swakopmund school.

Daylight Ekandjo, the mine’s manager for Partnerships, Communication and External Affairs said at the handover event at the school: “At Rössing we see continuous skills training and development as very important – in 2019 we provided training to over 100 employees, which included trade job attachments, bursaries, correspondence studies, leadership programmes and non-refundable financial assistance of employees’ children studies.”

School principal, Calvin Martin, said: “This car may be redundant for Rössing, but for us it is a much needed tool for the learners to achieve better competencies in their field. As the only school in the region offering this technical subject, we want to do the training to the best of our ability and ensure that our learners become the best auto mechanics in Namibia.”

“This donation came at the right time, so finally the learners will be able to take the engine apart and learn how to put it back again,” said Martin.

Natalia Guriras, representing the Erongo Regional Education Director emphasised: “We are grateful to Rössing Uranium for making this donation, as this type of partnerships strengthen the objective of the ministry. Thank you for bringing hope and aspiration to our learners.”

An excited Motor Mechanics learner at the school, Trevor Cloete, said: “Thank you Rössing for this donation, finally I will be able to go through the engine, strip it apart and learn how to put the parts back together. This is really an advantage for me and I feel privileged to be given this opportunity.”

Another learner at the school, Romeo Hangula, said that he can now get the practical skills of motor mechanics as this car will help him to practice what he learns in class. Also, these skills will help him in future to start up his own vehicle workshop and make an income for himself.

Ekandjo said that today’s donation of the vehicle from CNUC Rössing Uranium to the Coastal High School forms part of the mine’s sustainable development and community relationships approach, which is to seek out win-win situations that can increase economic wealth and social well-being for Namibia, today and tomorrow.

She said that the donation of the vehicle is seen as a long term investment in the education of our youth.

“As a technical school this vehicle will be a tool for those learners in motor mechanics to hone their practical skills. And who knows, many of the learners may well end up one day as skilled workers employed by CNUC Rössing Uranium – we will gladly welcome you!” said Ekandjo.

She said that Rössing Uranium cares about the health and safety of its employees and contractors. “We live by the view that if one cannot do a job safely, then do not do it.”

“With this in mind we want to impress safe working conditions on the school’s aspirant motor mechanics and other learners - we will leave demarcation paint with them to be able to create a demarcated area around all the machines in their workshops, and in addition Rössing’s HSE department will provide health and safety training to the teachers responsible for the three workshops, namely the metal workshop, auto mechanic workshop and carpentry workshop.”

 

Rössing Uranium donated a vehicle to the Coastal High School, Swakopmund, to be used for the practical skills training of the school's auto mechanic learners 5 June 2020 Daylight Ekandjo, Manager Partnerships, Communication and External Affairs, Rössing Uranium, handover the vehicle key to Calvin Martin, Principal at Coastal High School 5 June 2020

 

Issued by & enquiries:
Daylight Ekandjo
Manager: Partnerships, Communication and External Affairs
Rössing Uranium Limited
daylight.ekandjo@rossing.com.na
Cell: +264 (0)81 6392950