Africa-Press – Namibia. TRANSNAMIB recently launched an external train driver training programme, specifically aimed at the youth, to address the company’s current human capital challenge of an ageing pool of train drivers.
This is according to TransNamib’s spokesperson, Abigail Raubenheimer, who revealed that most of the company’s train drivers are within three to five years of retirement age. Considering this, she explained, the company saw it fit to introduce the trainee programme in an effort to inject new blood into TransNamib.
“On Wednesday, 21 September 2022, a total of 30 youth between the ages of 23 and 28 joined the three-year traineeship programme, which will ultimately change the trajectory of their careers and steer them towards becoming train drivers,” she said.
Raubenheimer said that the programme includes a specialised focused on safety and is guided by the Southern African Railways Association (SARA) guidelines for a traineeship.
The external programme, she added, is complimented by the company’s internal drive to create capacity as the company also identified 42 of its general workers that need to be upskilled through the train driver programme.
“It is expected that within the next three years, TransNamib will have a total of 72 new train drivers. As per the approved Integrated Strategic Business Plan (ISBP), TransNamib needs to double its freight volumes, creating a need for specialised human capital in its technical and operational field,” she said.
Raubenheimer explained that TransNamib’s management considers the programme to be “a much-needed intervention” as the company is trying to create capacity within its human resources by investing in its employees, while also creating employment and skill development opportunities for the youth.
Besides this, she said that the company also aims to transform the rail industry from a typically male-dominated industry to an inclusive one. In this regard, she indicated that 15 of the trainees are women, of which eight are part of the external programme, while seven are internally sourced.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
