"Becoming a Boilermaker: Tshepo Attains Dream

Tshepo Stanley Maredi - Boilermaker Assistant at Phalanndwa Extension

“I’ve always had an interest in steel works. Questions like how does somebody get to shape steel? How does one triangulate a plate or how hot does the flame need to be to cut through metal? Have always fascinated me. I enjoy working with metal by welding and cutting it,” explains Phalanndwa Extension Boilermaker Assistant Tshepo Stanley Maredi (36).

He started working at Canyon Coal in 2017 as an artisan assistant and in 2019, he completed his basic and advanced boiler making courses.  Owing to COVID-19 restrictions at the time, his 9 months of in-service training at Colliery Training College (CTC) was delayed for two years. He was finally able to complete his practical training in April 2022, along with his trade test through boiler making. He is now a qualified boilermaker.

He spends most of his time in the mine’s workshop maintaining and repairing the yellow machines. The mine uses both tungsten inert gas (TIG) and metal inert gas (MIG) welding techniques. However, it was stick welding that piqued Tshepo’s interest in welding, as this domestic method of welding is the most economical method of welding and offers the ability to form effective joints.

“My passion for welding is what motivated me to want to become a boilermaker one day. I was later exposed to MIG, and oxy-acetylene welding techniques. I'm proud to say that I'm well equipped for this career path because of all the knowledge I have gained. Canyon Coal has played a huge part in this, as it provided me with an internship to cover my tuition and sent me to CTC where I was able to gain in-depth training and accreditation,” Tshepo stated.

Advice for Youth

Tshepo believes that becoming a boilermaker is an interesting career choice. He says that seeing the end-product is always rewarding, as you can sit back and look at the beauty of the steel, the beauty of how the metals come to join together with the welding. “If it’s done correctly, it should last a long time, which is something to be proud of. In life, if you want to do something monumental, something that is going to resemble a monument of sorts to your hard work, boilermaking is definitely a career path worth considering,” states Tshepo