The fresh crop of Artisans that recently graduated from Orapa Technical College (OTC) have been urged to use the graduation as a launchpad to further their studies if they are to soar to greater heights.
Hailing from various disciplines such as Heavy Plant Mechanics, Maintenance Fitting, Electrical, Fabrication and Welding and Automation and Instrumentation, 23 men and women from Debswana and 13 from Business Partner, Komatsu, secured their positions as Artisans.
The graduates join the 1,600 crème-de-la-crème of artisans that the high-flying College has been producing since 1974 when the Apprenticeship to Artisanship programme began with its first enrolment of 9 apprentices. Orapa Training Centre, as it was then called, was opened with the intention to train semi-skilled workforce on Engineering aspects. In 1980, the Centre started institutionalized training on Fitting, Electrical, Fabrication/ Welding and Auto Mechanics. In 1987, Orapa Training Centre changed to Orapa Vocational Training Centre when the Apprentice and Industrial Training Act was implemented by the Government of Botswana. Almost ten years later, Orapa Training Centre became Orapa Technical College under Botswana Training Authority and Vocational Training Act of 1998.
OTC has ISO Certification 9001:2015 and has valid accreditation with Botswana Qualification Authority until 2030. The College runs National Craft Certificate Programmes such as Industrial Electrical, Welding and Fabrication, Maintenance Fitting, Fitter Machining and Heavy plant Mechanics. OTC is a registered examination centre for NCC Examinations, UNISA Examinations, Cambridge Examinations and City & Guilds International Examinations. The College's pass rate for National Craft Certificate examinations is administered by Madirelo Trade and Testing Centre (MTTC) and it has been 100% for over a decade.
OLDM General Manager Mogakolodi Maoketsa said that, "OTC has been a leading player in the development of Artisans in the country and has been instrumental in Debswana's achievement of 100% localisation of Artisan cadre positions in the organisation. The college has also trained artisans for government and other organisations such as Komatsu, BOTASH, Khoemacau, and Morupule Coal Mine,"