Free Skills Development at City of Johannesburg Centres: Courses and How to Enquire

Johannesburg residents interested in practical training can enquire at the City of Johannesburg’s skills development centres. The City says training providers enrol beneficiaries in programmes held at City-owned facilities free of charge to the beneficiaries. The programmes aim to build skills that can help people seek work or start a business.

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What can you study?

The City lists examples of training offered through its skills development initiatives, including:

• Plumbing
• Basic baking
• Basic sewing
• Arts and crafts
• Beading
• Tie-dye
• Generic management
• Jewellery making
• Basic first aid
• Computer training

These are examples from the City’s programme page, rather than a confirmed timetable for every centre. Course availability depends on the training provider and the current intake at a particular location.

Where are the skills centres?

The City lists centres across all seven of its regions. Examples include Diepsloot and Rabie Ridge in Region A; Westbury and Randburg in Region B; Tshepisong, Roodepoort and Cosmo City in Region C; several Soweto centres in Region D; Alexandra and Orange Grove in Region E; Bertrams, Rosettenville and South Hills in Region F; and Orange Farm, Vlakfontein, Poortjie and Ennerdale in Region G. The City’s Skills Development page gives individual centre addresses.

The numbers above are those published on the City’s page. Call ahead to confirm that the contact details and centre arrangements are still current.

How to enquire

1. Find your nearest centre on the City of Johannesburg Skills Development page.
2. Call the contact for your region and ask which free courses are currently recruiting learners.
3. Confirm the entry requirements, training dates, venue and documents needed with the centre or training provider.
4. Follow the enrolment instructions given for that specific intake.

Applications: The City’s programme page does not publish a single online application form or a current closing date for all centres. Contacting a centre is the clearest way to establish what is open now. The City also describes free skills development and training services offered with stakeholder partners, but availability should be confirmed before travelling to a venue.

Free Skills Development at the City of Johannesburg Municipality: Training Opportunities and Skills Centres

The City of Johannesburg Municipality provides skills development opportunities designed to help residents gain practical, technical and soft skills that can improve their chances of finding employment or starting their own businesses.

Through the City’s Department of Social Development, various training programmes are made available at skills centres and other City-owned facilities across Johannesburg. According to the City of Johannesburg, these programmes are aimed at addressing poverty and inequality while helping beneficiaries develop skills that can support participation in the economy.

What is the City of Johannesburg Skills Development Programme?

The City’s Skills Development Programme focuses on providing beneficiaries with both soft skills and technical skills. The objective is to help participants become more employable or acquire skills that can be used to establish and operate small businesses.

The City says training providers access private funding and enrol learners into skills development programmes conducted at City-owned facilities. Importantly, the training is conducted free of charge to beneficiaries at these facilities.

This means that unemployed and economically disadvantaged residents may have an opportunity to gain useful skills without paying training fees, subject to the availability and intake requirements of individual programmes.

Types of Skills Training Available

The City of Johannesburg lists a range of skills development programmes that have been offered across its facilities.

These include:

• Plumbing
• Basic baking
• Basic sewing
• Arts and crafts
• Beading
• Tie and dye
• Generic management
• Jewellery making
• Basic first aid
• Computer training

The availability of a particular course may differ between centres and training intakes. Prospective participants should therefore contact the relevant skills centre or regional contact person to confirm current programmes, requirements and registration dates.

Where Are the Skills Development Centres?

The City of Johannesburg lists skills centres across its seven regions, providing residents in different communities with access to training facilities.

Region A

Diepsloot Skills Centre
383 Ngonyama Road, Diepsloot, Midrand

Rabie Ridge Skills Centre
Corner Koraan and Kraai Avenue, Rabie Ridge, Midrand

Contact: Yvonne Phogole – 082 497 0346

Region B

TDC Children Services
Colaradi Drive, Riverlea, Westbury

Techno Centre Randburg
Corner Bram Fischer and Jan Smuts Road, Randburg

Contact: Ntsoaki Molefe – 073 601 0156

Region C

Region C includes:

• Tshepisong Skills Centre
• Leratong Skills Centre
• Mathole Skills Centre in Roodepoort
• Cosmo City Skills Centre

The regional contact is Dorah Mashita – 082 332 6805.

The Mathole Skills Centre is listed at the Roodepoort Civic Centre, 100 Christiaan de Wet Road, Roodepoort, while the Cosmo City Skills Centre is located at the Cosmo City Multipurpose Centre.

Region D

Region D has several facilities, including:

• Pimville Skills Centre
• Sam Tambani Welfare Centre
• Diepkloof Welfare Centre
• Orlando Skills Centre
• Chiawelo Skills Centre
• Tladi Skills Centre
• Jabavu Skills Centre

The listed regional contact is Phindi Erasmus – 011 528 8500.

Region E

Residents in Region E can find skills development facilities including:

• Klipfontein Skills Centre in Alexandra
• Sports and Recreation Centre in Alexandra/Orange Grove
• Orange Grove Skills Centre

Contact: Lebo Mathope – 082 467 9442.

Region F

Region F includes:

• Bertrams Skills Centre
• Pioneer Park Skills Centre
• South Hills Skills Centre

Contact: Meshack Maluleke – 083 397 6601.

Region G

Region G includes:

• Orange Farm Skills Centre
• Vlakfontein Skills Centre
• Poortjie Skills Centre
• Ennerdale Skills Centre
• Zakheni Skills Centre

The listed regional contact is Daniel Selomo – 011 850 1047.

Who Can Benefit From These Programmes?

The City’s skills development initiative is designed around supporting communities affected by poverty and inequality. The programme seeks to provide beneficiaries with practical skills that may help them enter the labour market or pursue self-employment.

The City's wider youth policy also identifies skills development programmes at City skills centres as a way of helping young people gain skills that can improve access to economic opportunities. The policy states that training is intended to respond to labour-market and economic needs.

The City has also identified skills development and job opportunities as an intervention for persons with disabilities, with a focus on facilitating relevant skills acquisition and linking participants to employment opportunities.

Why Skills Development Matters

Practical skills can provide an alternative pathway for people who may not have access to university or other formal education and training opportunities.

Courses such as sewing, baking, jewellery making and arts and crafts can potentially be used to develop small income-generating activities. Technical training such as plumbing and computer training can provide skills that may be useful when looking for employment.

The City has also previously highlighted skills development as part of broader efforts to improve access to economic opportunities, including through partnerships and programmes involving training providers.

How to Apply or Enquire

Residents interested in the City of Johannesburg's free skills development opportunities should contact the skills development centre or regional contact person listed by the City.

Because courses and training intakes can change, applicants should confirm:

1. Which courses are currently available.
2. Whether applications are open.
3. The eligibility requirements.
4. The registration process.
5. The training start date.
6. Whether spaces are still available.
7. What documents applicants need to provide.

It is advisable to contact the relevant centre before travelling to confirm that the programme is currently accepting participants.

Important Information for Applicants

The City of Johannesburg's official Skills Development page confirms that training programmes are conducted at City-owned facilities free of charge to beneficiaries. However, this does not mean that every course is permanently available at every centre. Training opportunities depend on the programmes being implemented at particular facilities and the availability of training providers and intakes.

Applicants should therefore rely on the City or the relevant regional contact for the latest information rather than assuming that a specific course is currently open for registration.

Final Thoughts

The City of Johannesburg's Skills Development Programme provides residents with access to practical training opportunities in areas ranging from plumbing and computer training to baking, sewing, arts and crafts, jewellery making and basic first aid.

With skills centres located across Regions A to G, the programme provides opportunities for residents in different parts of Johannesburg to access skills training closer to their communities. The City states that beneficiaries can access training conducted at its facilities free of charge, making these programmes a potential option for residents seeking practical skills for employment or entrepreneurship.

Official Application and Information

For the latest information about available programmes, registration and contact details, visit the City of Johannesburg's official Skills Development page:

City of Johannesburg – Skills Development