Central SA
Phuthaditjhaba boasts first Smart Skills Centre in the Free State─── ZENANDE MPAME 13:04 Fri, 29 Aug 2025
The Free State Smart Skills Centre in Phuthaditjhaba aims to train more than 20,000 individuals from Phuthaditjhaba, Harrismith and Kestell in the next five years, turning these underserved areas into hubs of innovation and opportunity.
The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (Chieta), the first of its kind in the Free State, was launched on Thursday (28/8) and is designed to equip rural communities with cutting-edge digital, technical, and entrepreneurial skills.
The centre, previously Tshiya College, offers coding, robotics, virtual reality training, ICT-based learning, and accredited short courses that range from practical life skills to advanced digital competencies.
The centre’s facilities include two smart boardrooms, a fully equipped ICT hub with laptops loaded with accredited courses, and Virtual Reality ports.
Minister of higher education Buti Manamela said at the opening this centre is a reaffirmation of “our collective commitment to building a post-school education and training system that meets the demands of the future”.
“A system that provides opportunities not only for young people but for all South African workers, the unemployed, adults seeking re-skilling, and communities striving for a better life.
“The centre is a testament to our commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that young people from historically marginalised communities can access the same opportunities as their urban counterparts.”
Chiata CEO Yershen Pillay emphasised the centre’s role in bridging the digital divide in South Africa, where only 10.3% of rural households have access to technology.
By situating the centre in Phuthaditjhaba, Chieta brings digital services and training directly to rural communities, ensuring they are not left behind in the digital revolution.
“We are doing this by bringing advanced training and innovation closer to where people live, and we are unlocking the potential of every learner to contribute meaningfully to the economy,” he said.
“The transformation of Tshiya College into a skills centre of excellence is not incidental in this context,” said education MEC Dr Julia Maboya. “It is a deliberate strategy to decentralise access to opportunity into the very geographies that need it most.”
