In a major move that will add to the stature of the plumbing sector, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) has formally recognised the Plumbing Industry Registration Board (PIRB) as a professional body. 

Thanks to the newly-assigned professional status, professionals registered with the ITC-SA under the designation of Timber Roof Truss Designer will now receive due recognition in contracts documentation and will be recognised by statutory organisations as competent persons in their specific field of operation.

The Gauteng Master Builders Association’s (GMBA’s) 2010 intake of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) cadets will be the first to qualify with the SAQA-registered (South African Qualifications Authority) National Certificate: Construction Health and Safety NQF Level 3, which was registered in March 2010. The students will graduated last month, February 2011.

“The high costs of tertiary education, together with limited places at institutions of higher education, has meant that many school leavers have fewer options to acquire the skills required for employment beyond that of a menial level,” says Tony Keal, Group Skills Facilitator at the Master Builders Association of the Western Cape (MBAWC) - a registered trade association for employers in the building industry.

The Institute for Timber Construction (ITC-SA), South Africa’s professional body and regulator of the engineered timber structure industry and provider of design, manufacturing, erection, inspection and certification for compliance, will be hosting its Annual Timber Engineered Product Awards on the 19th of August 2016.