A new skills development academy established by the construction group Raubex in Bloemfontein has brought renewed attention to the role private businesses could play in developing technical skills, expanding access to training and strengthening the Free State’s construction workforce.
The Raubex Training Academy is a newly completed, state-of-the-art skills development hub established by the Raubex Group to combat youth unemployment and structural skills shortages in South Africa’s construction and infrastructure sectors.
Located in Estoire, Bloemfontein, the academy celebrated its official grand opening on 22 October 2026.
Raubex Group talent manager John llott said the academy’s training priorities would be informed by the company’s operational requirements, workforce planning and succession planning, with a focus on construction, infrastructure, roads and mining.
The company has also indicated that it wants to work with education partners, municipalities, its operating businesses and other stakeholders to create funded training, apprenticeship and development opportunities, particularly for young people who struggle to access such programmes.
For prospective trainees, access will depend on practical details such as eligibility requirements, the number of available places, the cost of participation, accreditation and whether completing a programme can lead to workplace experience or employment.
These are also important considerations for the province’s wider skills-development agenda, where training outcomes need to be measured not only by the number of people enrolled but also by the opportunities available to graduates.
The Bloemfontein facility could also support skills development in the surrounding community, while partnerships with schools introducing technical subjects could help expose learners to careers in construction and related industries.
Business development manager Karen Booysen said the academy’s ambitions extended beyond machinery and infrastructure training to include leadership development, management courses and information technology. Such a broad approach could be relevant to businesses that need both technical workers and people capable of managing teams, projects and operations.
The academy’s potential contribution to small businesses and local recruitment also warrants closer examination, particularly in determining whether independent contractors and smaller enterprises will be able to access training or benefit from partnerships linked to the programme.
The academy’s establishment provides an opportunity to examine how private-sector investment in skills development can contribute to the province’s economic development. The Raubex Training Academy opening places technical training and the relationship between business needs and employment opportunities firmly on the provincial economic agenda.
