Hydrogen Safe Supports British Council-Led Programme to Strengthen Learning Provision in South Africa

Hydrogen Safe, the training provider offering hydrogen safety training to support organisational competence, operational control and compliance, has been engaged as a delivery partner as part of a British Council–led international skills partnership.

Delivered through the British Council’s Going Global Partnerships programme, with funding from the International Skills Partnership (ISP), the project will see the company contribute to a year-long delivery supporting Nkangala TVET college in South Africa.

Pertunia Mothiba from the British Council, comments:

“The British Council is proud to contribute to South Africa’s response to climate challenges. This British Council–led collaboration will create lasting impact for educators and empower students with the skills needed for the green economy.”

Initially embedding hydrogen skills into its curriculum, Hydrogen Safe will then work with the college to deliver a ‘train the trainer’ programme for staff.

Through publicly accessible resources, developed exclusively for the college by the company, such as lesson plans, assessments, and resource packs on hydrogen skills that are reflective of the local labour market in the Mpumalanga province, staff will have the content they need to confidently pass on their learning to others.

Addressing inclusion and diversity within the hydrogen sector, through the project Hydrogen Safe will also host a ‘women in hydrogen’ event. Focusing on increasing the recognition of women in hydrogen, the event will be used to develop positive case studies and also to promote the achievements of women in STEM in South Africa, the UK and beyond.       

Director of Partnerships at Hydrogen Safe, Elizabeth Simon, comments:

‘We are really pleased to announce that we have been selected as a delivery partner on a British Council-led project through the Going Global Partnerships programme, funded by the International Skills Partnership (ISP).

“Delivering this project and working with Nkangala TVET College is a further example of the international audience we are now engaging with.

“The remit of this project sits outside of traditional training and that’s what makes it so much more exciting. Having the chance to develop bespoke resources to be used to upskill learners and empower them to pass this knowledge to others is really encouraging.

“What’s more, the ‘women in hydrogen’ event addresses a fundamental and global issue that we continue to face. Having an opportunity to create a positive event, that will lead to case studies and examples of best practice, is a further endorsement for the inclusivity we want to champion through all the work that we do.”

Acting Deputy Principal Innovation and Development, Cyril Mazibuko at Nkangala TVET College, comments:

“We are really looking forward to working with Hydrogen Safe and to embedding this learning into our curriculum. Not only does it address the skills gap that we have but also recognizes the job roles that students could access as a result of local projects.

“Working in collaboration is a positive and productive way for us to take the knowledge we need and apply it across our workstreams.”

Members of Hydrogen UK; the Hydrogen Energy Association; and the Net Zero Skills Advisory Board, as well as being a corporate partner of the Greater Manchester Mayors Charity, Hydrogen Safe works with businesses, education providers and individuals to develop and provide tailored solutions that align with their training needs.