Black empowered artisan training company, Artisan Training Institute (ATI) – formerly known as Ikhaya Fundisa Techniskills Academy – has paid back its R13,5 million ‘starting up’ loan it received from the IDC in 2008.

This was confirmed by ATI co-founder and director Mandisa Nyathikazi, who said the company had grown at an annual rate of 15-20% per year for the past five years.

In 2008 Nyathikazi and partner, Sean Jones, invested in excess of R20 million in buying and refurbishing the Ikhaya Fundisa Techniskills Academy (IFT Academy) in Roodepoort after receiving a bank loan from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

Following “sterling growth” the company changed its name to ATI last year, “to signal the new changes management brought to the old IFT Academy brand”.

Sean Jones, co-founder of ATI, said that while some competitors are closing their doors due to “hard times in training”, the company continued on a steady growth course due to a high level of quality standards, a good management team, and its position as a BEE level 1 contributor.

In total, ATI have funded in excess of R45 million in servicing the IDC loan coupled with profit plough back to expand the company’s engineering training investment. Future growth plans include the opening of a R2.5 million training facility in Hartbeesfontein in January 2014, significant training expansions in the Northern Cape due to a large contract, and additional growth in sub Sahara Africa.

“In terms of our growth plans outside of South Africa,” said Jones, “we will look at opening training centres where there is a need from existing clients, or from large multinationals. It is likely that some of these new training centres will be joint ventures.”

ATI is focused on training artisans in a wide range of engineering-focused skills, including fitters and turners, tool jig and dye makers, electricians, millwrights, welders, boilermakers, sheet metal workers, petrol and diesel mechanics, tractor mechanics, forklift mechanics, auto electricians and earth moving equipment mechanics.