Discovery Insure in partnership with Avis has formally launched the Pothole Patrol Training Academy (PPTA) in South Africa.
Following a successful pilot project in 2023 with 18 learners, the PPTA has been fully accredited by the Insurance Sector Education and Training Authority to offer a 12-month practical skills training programme providing an NQF Level 3 qualification.
Now in its first official year, the academy is providing classroom and on-the-job training for 24 learners through EduWize.
The men and women range from 22 to 34 years of age and are all from previously disadvantaged communities. Upon completion of their studies, they will be awarded a National Certificate in Roadworks Construction.
“We want to sustainably uplift the academy’s learners so that once they complete the 12-month programme, they not only know how to repair potholes and what to do in a road construction environment but are equipped to start their own business,” said Discovery Insure’s Kgodiso Mokonyane.
“It is exciting to see that one of the people who was trained under the Discovery Pothole Patrol has started his own business in KwaZulu-Natal and created employment opportunities through his company.”
Prosperity through adversity
Since its launch in April 2021, Discovery’s Pothole Patrol initiative has greatly assisted the City of Joburg in clearing its road maintenance backlog.
Initially, the target was to repair an already considerable 1,000 potholes per week, a goal it has surpassed by a massive 25%.
Relying on artificial intelligence to map and detect potholes, together with a free iOS and Android app on which the public can report these hazards, the Pothole Patrol team has repaired in excess of 200,000 potholes on major Joburg roads in the past three years, some of which measured as large as a full square metre.
“Pothole Patrol reflects Discovery Insure’s vision of creating a nation of safer drivers and roads by assisting with the City’s pothole repair backlog,” said Mokonyane.
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