In-house project planning training gives Cosira Group the competitive edge
08 July 2009
In order to provide leading construction solutions, efficient project planning and implementation is an absolute must for construction companies in South Africa today, where the appropriate skills, experience and capabilities of a project planning team can make or break any construction project.
Therefore, it is crucial that project managers have a holistic knowledge of the project planning process, coupled with the resources and skills to implement a plan effectively.
This is according to Mike van Vuuren, Group Planning Manager at the Cosira Group, one of the largest structural steel fabricators in Southern Africa. Van Vuuren heads up an in-house project planning school, where every six months a selected trainee project manager is enrolled in a three-year training programme; which will equip trainees with the necessary skills and knowledge to become leaders in project planning at the Cosira Group in the future.
“When I joined Cosira five years ago, it was very challenging to source competent Project planners from the industry, and we found that a great many candidates were simply not up to standard,” says van Vuuren.
“At the end of 2005, van Vuuren commenced with the Project Planning School, whereby each trainee was provided with a comprehensive manual that included all the necessary material. The trainees were also required to get practical experience in each and every department of the company, from the bottom up, he says.
“By spending at least six months in each department of the Group, they gain a comprehensive knowledge of what the overall project planning process entails. Furthermore, we also have training facilities located on the construction sites for hands-on experience and knowledge. Trainees gain an all-encompassing technical knowledge as well as expertise in the necessary hardware, software, site planning and schedules.
We supplement our in-house training program by also using the University of Pretoria’s PPM (Program in Project Management) and APPM (Advance Program in Project Management) to cement the theoretical knowledge around project planning and project management," adds van Vuuren.
Cosira provides clients with turnkey structural, mechanical and comprehensive project management solutions, and has the necessary logistical and infrastructural support to manage all necessary components on every site. The company also undertakes to coordinate and oversee the range of sub-contractors they deal with, which supply supplementary or specialised services.
“Much of these project management skills are thanks to the in-house project planning training programme that we have developed,” adds van Vuuren.
According to John da Silva, CEO of the Cosira Group, the company has recognized that the future of their industry - and of South Africa's sustained growth and development as global players in the steel construction sector - relies on the exchange of skills and the transfer of accumulated knowledge that comes with experience.
“As such, we are committed to provide access to training opportunities for all our employees; and we have furthermore set ourselves ambitious targets in this regard and regularly review the progress made by our trainees,” says da Silva.
Van Vuuren continues: “The benefits of this Programme are multiple. It allows us to offer a more professional service to our clients, where we are confident that we have the best-trained and most competent planners on site. It also makes financial sense for Cosira to have an in-house training facility for our own employees. We believe that the Cosira Group can provide the entrepreneurial spirit, experience, skills and resources to provide world-class construction solutions right here in Southern Africa.”
“For our trainees, the sky is the limit. With these skills, they are equipped with the necessary knowledge to become the very best in their field and evolve into Managerial positions very easily,” concludes da Silva.