Mantrac Ghana has announced the opening of Caterpillar’s ‘Technicians for Africa’ e-learning website for Ghana.

The free of charge e-learning curriculum is open to anyone who wishes to enrol on the 18 easy-to-understand modules that contain information on Caterpillar’s History, Tooling, Electrical, Hydraulics and Powertrain Fundamentals.

Caterpillars ‘Technicians for Africa’ project was released as a pilot project in Nigeria, Mozambique and DR Congo. The scheme has been very well received and currently has approximately 3,000 students enrolled as at the end of June 2016. So far 16 students have completed the course and have been certified.

Those who register for the curriculum have the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge and upon successful completion of the curriculum, will earn a certificate of completion that may support their chances to get a job.  Mantrac will also provide each certified student with a tour of the main Component Rebuild Facility.

“Many School leavers are unable to enter the job market because they have been unable to receive enough technical knowledge when they leave school. In schools, the latest technical information isn’t always available,” explained Maurice Manders, Caterpillar’s Learning and Development Manager and also the team leader of the e-learning project.

“Offering an Internet-based basic learning curriculum that is available to schools and students is an efficient solution to this challenge,” he added.

“This is just one of the ways that we’re looking to boost the skills in the industry as a whole. There is a vital need for skilled labour across these sectors in Africa. We are proud to see the launch of this initiative,” said David Picard, Region Manager responsible for Caterpillar’s distribution in Africa.

Mantrac Ghana’s Technicians work on a wide variety of equipment, from small generators to large Mining Excavators and Trucks. This online training offers the basic knowledge required to enter into a career as a Technician with Mantrac Ghana or with an independent employer.

Mantrac Ghana’s MD, Emad Adeeb stated “Since the Caterpillar Dealership in Ghana was formed in 1937 we have developed the skills of thousands of Technicians. The Technicians who graduated from our training school have strengthened the overall technical knowledge within Ghanaian Power Generation, Construction and Mining industries. Inspired by Caterpillar’s initiative and as part of Mantrac’s Social Responsibility, we are pleased to offer general training to the wider audience through e-learning, this is available to everyone in Ghana.

Anyone who aspires to be a Mechanic, Technician or Engineer can gain vital knowledge from this free of charge training. We look forward to meeting the first student who completes this program.”Enrollment can be done at https://techniciansforafrica.caterpillaruniversity.com/.