Cape Town’s Transport and Urban Development Authority (TDA) now has eight all-female road repair teams after establishing women-only teams in Bellville, Kraaifontein, Ottery, and Plumstead.
The teams across the city are part of the TDA’s Women at Work Programme to empower women in the workplace, providing them with skills for work generally associated with men.
“The 24 women were appointed in March as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) within the TDA and are now based at the TDA depots in these areas. Each team has six members. They follow the 24 pioneers selected in 2015 to be part of Cape Town’s first women-only road maintenance teams in Ndabeni, Fish Hoek, Heideveld and Kuils River,” said Councillor Brett Herron.
Identifying suitable candidates
The TDA Training Academy assisted depot management to identify suitable candidates from the local sub-council job seeker’s database in accordance with the city’s EPWP Policy.
“The women are aged between 18 and 45 and are local residents from Bellville, Scottsdene, Lotus River, Parkwood, Ottery, Tokai, Steenberg, Retreat, and Delft. They have completed their initial training and are now out in the field where we are equipping them with in-depth skills and on-the-job exposure. We have budgeted approximately R690,000 to establish the additional four teams and I am proud of this programme to empower women and embed a culture of gender equality within the TDA,’ said Herron.
The training and skills development covers a wide range of technical fields, including: Stormwater infrastructure; Footways; Roads and Line-marking.
Building careers
“What makes this programme so rewarding is that it provides the women with a real opportunity to find permanent employment. The 24 women who were selected for our very first all-female road repair teams in 2015 were appointed in permanent positions at the City in October 2016.
“Thus, apart from being permanently employed, they can now build a career within the TDA realm. I am confident that the new group of 24 women will make good use of the opportunity to gain as much experience as they can over the next nine months, while being temporarily employed as part of the EPWP. We are also establishing another three teams and will make an announcement in due course,” said Herron.
The TDA Training Academy is currently developing a specific career advancement programme for the women-only road maintenance teams.
