IFAS - Institut Français d'Afrique du Sud

General information

Global specialist in energy management,Schneider Electric South Africa has teamed up with the French Ministry of Education and the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) TO Launch a center aimed at developing program to train technicians and higher technicians in the fields of energy, electricity and maintenance of automated systems.
Named the French -South African Schneider Electric Education Centre (FSASEC), The new facility is in line with the Department of Higher Education and Training's vision of accelerating artisan training across the country and will focus on preparing young South Africans from disadvantaged backgrounds for the job market. The first intake of students have been enrolled in April 2012.
This project enjoys the support of the Embassy of France in South Africa, under the auspices of its partnership program (from the French Ministry of Education) with the South African government, and is aimed at addressing the shortage of disadvantaged, young, skilled South Africans.
According to Prof.Deon de Beer, Executive Director: Technology Transfer and Innovation( TTI) at the VUT, the purpose of the training center is to provide a number of programs in the field of energy, electricity, automation and renewable energies, from basic certification right through to advanced certifications, that are equivalent to university graduate and postgraduate levels studies. In addition, it is his vision that the center will act as a hub from which to support and service the community,educational institutions and industry.