The MQA in 2005 launched a Graduate Development Programme aimed at giving “On the Job” training opportunities to unemployed Historically Disadvantaged South African graduates from Universities of Technologies and Universities.  The graduates were recruited from all over the country in the scarce skills disciplines as identified in the MQA Sector Skills Plan.  The aim of the programme is to ensure that the candidates are absorbed in the labour market within the mining industry.  The candidates commenced with their training in January 2005 and most of them will be completing their training at the end of 2006 or beginning of 2007. 

From the initial number of 119 candidates that commenced with the programme in 2005, 33 candidates have already been employed permanently.

The candidates have undergone a coordinated training programme with set outputs, assessment criteria and exit requirements for each discipline (A booklet which articulates all these is available at CareerWise or at the MQA).

There are currently 69 candidates in the programme who are not bonded or attached to the companies who are training them. The list of the candidates is available on the MQA website under the Learnerships Section.