From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.

Sashnee Moodley:

The French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian visited construction materials and infrastructure components multinational Saint-Gobain’s Germiston, Ekurhuleni, construction training academy. Schalk Burger has the story.

Schalk Burger:

The French foreign minister, who was accompanied by the French ambassador to South Africa Christophe Farnaud, toured the construction education and training authority-accredited facility, which trains local youths in the latest construction techniques and materials.

The youths are selected from the surrounding communities. Part of their practical training involves building and renovating community assets, which is aimed at ensuring sustainability of the programme and helping to uplift the local communities.

The twelve-month programme requires students to learn about drywall and ceiling installation, which includes safety, tools and assembly of components, written and oral communication skills, applied mathematics, including calculating quantities and costings, and workplace skills including tolerance, HIV/Aids education, first-aid basics and business plans.

The academy partnered with US-based non-governmental organisation YouthBuild in 2016. YouthBuild teaches students life, business and social skills in addition to the practical construction skills, as a way of ensuring that they are prepared for work.

Farnaud explained that corporate social responsibility initiatives are considered part of the French way of doing business, as evidenced by the initiatives of other French multinationals in South Africa, such as Schneider Electric and Alstom, among others.

Saint-Gobain sub-Saharan Africa CEO Jean-Claude Lasserre provides more insight into the academy’s work.

Saint-Gobain sub-Saharan Africa CEO Jean-Claude Lasserre:

Sashnee Moodley:

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.