Mafikeng - The North West Department of Public Works has recruited 91 trainees as boiler operators at 11 hospitals across the province in an attempt to address the shortage of this critical skill at hospitals.
In the statement on Tuesday, Acting Head of Department Motlapele Ntshabele said the high vacancy rate of boiler operators in state hospitals across the province had put a strain in both the department's human and financial resources.
"The few people that have been doing this kind of work have had to work day and night because boilers have to be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This led to a situation where the department spent a lot of money on overtime claims."
Boiler operation is critical to ensure smoothly run hospital services in the province.
In provincial hospitals, boiler operators ensure that there is steam reticulation into the entire building for heating water, cooking and sterilisation of theatrical equipment and for the laundry equipment, among others.
The trainees, who are made up of 71 men and 20 women from rural and poor background, are to undergo a 12-month on-the-job training. Each will receive a monthly R2 500 stipend.
At least 55 are expected to be absorbed permanently at the end of the course.
Human Resource Management Director at the department, Pogisho Moremedi said current boiler operators would act as mentors to the learners and a training consultant would be appointed shortly.
Mr Moremedi said the on-the-job training would cover key areas of boiler operations, including lighting the fire, raising steam pressure, de-ashing, emergency shutdowns, blowdown procedures and safe maintenance of steam pressure.
One of the trainees, Kenaleone Moeng, 23, from Vryburg said since passing her matric in 2002 she had been struggling to find employment and had been despondent about her future.
That was until she saw an advertisement in a local newspaper for the boiler operator development programme.
"This is an opportunity of a life time. For me as a young woman, this is a very proud moment because these kinds of jobs were previously dominated by our male counterparts," she said.
At the end of the programme learners are expected to emerge with a wealth of knowledge and a recognised certificate issued by an accredited institution to help the trainees to be competitive in job market.
Ms Ntshabele said the recruitment of 91 of the 6 500 applicants, followed previously yet unsuccessful attempts to fill more than 50 boiler operator posts in hospitals
One of the reasons for boiler operators move to greener pastures is due to the higher salaries in other hospitals. According to Ms Nshabele, boiler operators in the province are employed on salary level three (R54 879 per annum) while their assistants are on level two (R47 787 per annum).
There are currently 106 boiler operators in the province, which is 55 less than the required amount.
Ms Ntshabele said at the Job Tabane Hospital in Rustenburg there were only three boilermakers. "They have to work overtime just to keep health services uninterrupted," she said.
