KZN Youth to Receive R95.9m Skills Boost in Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering
KZN Youth to Receive R95.9m Skills Boost in Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering. More than 1,000 young people in KwaZulu-Natal are set to receive technical training through a R95.9 million skills development project funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training’s National Skills Fund (NSF).
The 43-month initiative, implemented by Fuze Business Initiative, will provide training in aircraft maintenance engineering and wheel balancing. It was officially launched at Oribi Airport in Pietermaritzburg this week.
The Aircraft Maintenance Engender Project will support 1,020 beneficiaries through two training programmes. Twenty apprentices will undertake a three-year aircraft maintenance engineering programme in uMgungundlovu, while 1,000 learners will work towards a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 3 wheel balancer qualification.
The wheel balancer programme covers 300 learners in Newcastle, 200 in Mooi River and 500 in Mpumza, Pietermaritzburg. According to the project information, recruited learners began training in August and receive monthly stipends, toolkits and protective equipment.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the initiative is intended to create pathways into employment while also encouraging entrepreneurship. The project budget includes provision for registering cooperatives, with the aim of enabling some participants to establish enterprises and create employment for others.
Dube-Ncube also emphasised the importance of ensuring that training responds to industry requirements and prepares young people for technological developments. Areas highlighted include electric and hybrid vehicle systems, drone maintenance, smart manufacturing, artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostics and green hydrogen.
She said the department would assess the project against measurable outcomes, including learner completion, qualifications obtained, employment and enterprise creation. Part of the management fee payable to Fuze Business Initiative will be withheld until agreed outcomes are achieved.
The Deputy Minister further called on training providers and host employers to maintain safe learning and working environments, with clear procedures for reporting gender-based violence and harassment.
The project forms part of wider skills development efforts. For the 2026/27 financial year, the department is targeting more than 520,000 TVET college enrolments, alongside 91,800 workplace-based learning opportunities and 22,000 artisan certifications.
