The Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), in partnership with Interwaste, the Accredited Training Provider, have concluded their first accredited training of 271 employees from Durban Solid Waste (DSW).

The accredited training was headed by Gail Smit, the IWMSA executive officer. Smit says, “The Institute hopes that by offering accredited training in waste management, there will be a much higher incentive for institutions and individuals alike to accelerate their understanding of waste management whilst at the same time acquiring recognised credits towards a potential qualification and engaging in essential skills development programmes.”

IWMSA’s national training committee, which includes representatives from the various branches, were trained and accredited as assessors, with some progressing on to the status of moderators. Through this model, the Institute is able to run accredited training nationally with the assistance of these accredited members.

Smit said that various facilitators from the Institute were utilised to run the DSW training in groups of approximately 30 to 35 candidates. The training venue was provided by DSW and candidates were soon enjoying the learning experience and eagerly participating in the group discussions.

Candidates benefited through the interaction of learning both the theory and practical applications of the training. The use of workplace assignments was used as a learning tool and will be refined for even better results going forward. The completion of workplace assignments immediately after the facilitation of learning assisted to better equip the learners for the summative assessment which took the form of a one-on-one interview with assessors appointed for this purpose.

The Institute has also run individual training sessions in Midrand on specific Unit Standards Definitions (USD). In partnership with Interwaste, the IWMSA is able to provide accredited training which is tailored to meet clients’ specific requirements. Comprehensive information regarding the accredited training programmes is available on the IWMSA’s website, www.iwmsa.co.za.