Black-owned artisan training company, Artisan Training Institute (ATI), has invested R35-million in satellite offices, refurbishing buildings and upgrading – and buying – equipment.
This is according to co-founder and CEO, Sean Jones, who says: “This R35-million has been spent in the last seven years, resulting in the opening of satellite offices in Crown Mines, Hartebeesfontein and Port Shepstone. The money was also invested in new accommodation for artisan trainees.”
Seven years ago Sean Jones and partner Mandisa Nyathikazi invested in excess of R20-million in buying and refurbishing the Ikaya Fundisa Techniskills Academy (IFT Academy) in Roodepoort after receiving a bank loan from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
“Since we bought IFTA and renamed the company, ATI, we have grown turnover by an average of 20% per annum and have increased our staff complement from 17 to 70,” says Jones.
He says the next “big growth phase” would be in the North West Province where the company has entered into an agreement with a large mining group to run a training facility on their behalf”.
It is believed that the company will be investing R180-million in the project, which includes land, buildings and equipment.
“It is arguably going to be our largest project to date,” says Jones.
ATI – one of the largest privately owned artisan training companies in South Africa – focuses on training artisans in a wide range of engineering-focused skills, including fitters and turners, tool jig and dye makers, electricians, millwrights, welders, boilermakers, sheet metal workers, petrol and diesel mechanics, tractor mechanics, forklift mechanics, auto electricians and earth moving equipment mechanics.
