BluLever was begun by founders Jess Roussos and Adam Collier in 2018, in response to a pressing need for artisans, an ineffectual official training system and the enormous amount of unemployment among South Africa’s youth. Artisan roles are among the hardest to fill – the average age of an artisan in this country is 55. Less than 5% of those who graduate from TVET colleges are qualified artisans, despite the billions being thrown at education by the government. BluLever’s innovative, holistic education imparts valuable skills to its graduates; in addition to technical training, they acquire soft skills, entrepreneurship and a vital understanding of how to adapt to today’s rapid changes.
Dylan Bosman, Director of Marketing & Student Recruitment, said that as an education organisation, it is very important that the BluLever Education campus and headquarters is situated in an area that is accessible to young people, but also has an aspirational atmosphere: “Braamfontein ticks both of these boxes. We moved into the area in March of 2021 and have not looked back. Our students, who are young apprentices completing a three-year apprenticeship in the trades of plumbing and electrical, have found a home here. These young people are the future generation of capable South African artisans, and have perfectly incorporated into the upwardly mobile culture of Braamfontein.”
Changes are afoot at the colourful campus on 68 Juta Street, where the team of trainers is rapidly expanding. BluLever began with plumbing five years ago, and this year launched its second trade – an apprenticeship in electrical. “It's a vital step on our journey to ensuring we are able to scale to meet the demands of the various trades in South Africa, and later, Africa,” said Bosman.
Asked about the company’s vision, Bosman answered: “We are solving some of Africa's biggest challenges by upskilling the artisans that build our continent. We believe that to develop our continent, our people need better artisan education. University education has become our society's pinnacle of aspiration, something we invest in and innovate on constantly, but vocational training has been forgotten. BluLever’s vision is to prepare Africa for the 4th Industrial Revolution by developing and mobilising a movement of five million artisans as active citizens.”
As with most education businesses, Covid had a big impact on BluLever Education. The biggest challenge was making sure that the students did not fall behind during the hard lockdowns, during which they were unable to learn at the campus. With the first hard lockdown BluLever had to “turn on a dime” to shift its classes and learning material online – and it managed to do so in just one week!
“During further lockdowns, we optimised this approach and as a result, our learning management system and online resources have seen massive development. However, we believe that learning is best in-person so that our apprentices are able to get hands-on with the technical aspects of their learning but also so they don't miss out on peer-to-peer and social learning.”
Bosman would like to see Braamfontein become a suburb that is more than just a safe haven for creatives and a space for self-expression, “but is also an area that is an inspirational environment for young students during the day”. He added that it would be great to see more small businesses in the area that cater more directly to students and apprentices, so they are better supported.
Asked about the company’s vision, Bosman answered: “We are solving some of Africa's biggest challenges by upskilling the artisans that build our continent. We believe that to develop our continent our people need better artisan education. University education has become our society's pinnacle of aspiration, something we invest in and innovate on constantly, but vocational training has been forgotten. BluLever’s vision is to prepare Africa for the 4th Industrial Revolution by developing and mobilising a movement of five million artisans as active citizens.”
For more information, visit www.blulever.com
