PROJECTS AIMED AT providing skills-training to former mineworkers in the Eastern Cape have been launched by the Mining Qualifications Authority. Mineworkers from the O.R. Tambo district have been particularly hard hit by the closure of mining companies and the downscaling of other operations. A total of R2,5-million has been granted by the National Skills Fund to support skills development in the district. It expected that four hundred former miners from the district will receive basic business training, as well as either agricultural or other vocational training, depending on the needs and demands of the community. South African Minister of Minerals and Energy Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Chamber of Mines president Barry Davison and Executive Mayor of the OR Tambo District launched the Social Plan Project for former miners. This is first time that the MQA has embarked on a project of this nature in rural areas and the amount of funds available will only provide training for a few of the many former miners who are unemployed. The success of this project will be the basis for obtaining additional funding. It is expected that district and local municipalities will become driving forces behind these projects, even after MQA-NSF funding has been used up. The OR Tambo District is widely considered as one of the poorest areas in South Africa, having traditionally been a labour-sending area to the mining industry. Four mining houses – Lonmin Platinum, Impala Platinum, Anglo Platinum and JIC Mining Services – as well as the Departments of Labour and Minerals and Energy are supporting the project. Some 400 ex-mineworkers or their proxies are expected to benefit from the project in the OR Tambo District. They will receive basic business training, as well as either agricultural or other vocational training, depending on the needs and demands of the community. It is anticipated that over the next three years, based on basic adult education and training (ABET), between 180 and 360 people will be trained in literacy and/or numeracy. It is also envisioned that 24 Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) local educators will be trained and contracted to provide the ABET training. The selected projects are all anticipated to have an important effect on the development of local economies, provide sustainable incomes and have positive effects on such aspects as home-based food security, income generation, improvement of household income, health and the improvement of communities as a whole.