Tumi Theledi: A real Rand-Air ‘bright spark’!

Service Supervisor Tumi Theledi is an inspiration to his Rand-Air colleagues as, through dedication and commitment, study and hard work, he is making impressive progress – at an ‘electrifying’ pace:

Theledi started his career with the company back in 2005, and then left to lecture at Johannesburg college. “I lectured Electrical Trade Theory, Engineering Science and Mathematics,” he explains.

In 2007 he returned to Rand-Air as a student in service training, in a two-year apprenticeship. The study bug then bit, and Theledi decided to improve his career potential and take whatever courses would support this decision: “As soon as I decided that I wanted to upskill myself and better myself, Rand-Air was behind me. They gave me the time to study, and assisted me financially with tuition fees,” he says. “I believe that you can never know enough and that as a person, you must never stop studying,” he observes. True to this ethos, he enrolled at Tshwane South College in Pretoria, to study for a Certificate in Electrical Engineering. He completed this with a diploma in 2007, as well as qualifying as a millwright artisan –  a good combination of electrical and mechanical engineering. As a high-precision craftsman, he is now is well-qualified to install, dismantle, maintain, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, mines and construction sites.

With each machine that is installed, whether it be rental or purchase, a Certificate of Compliance (COC) is required, to verify that the electrical installations such as the plugs, lights, distribution board, geyser and wiring in a home, business or mine, comply with the legislated requirements as detailed in the Occupational Health and Safety Act. In 2011, Theledi completed the year required to obtain his COC Certificate of Electrical Compliance.

“As I already had my Electrical Engineering certificate, this course posed no problems to me and, in fact, complemented my knowledge base, because the COC is more about rules, regulations and protocols,” he explains. Theledi qualified in three-phase electrical installation, he points out with pride, explaining that it means that he has a “combination” of single and three-phase certification and is authorised to submit the relevant certificate after installation of a machine.

Since 2016, Theledi has been a Service Supervisor for Rand-Air. He explains that this entails checking equipment availability, and to allocate any repairs or maintenance to the appropriate technician.

“I have a clear understanding of what is required on various sites and despatch technicians accordingly when required. I maintain an overview of what is happening in the field and ensure that back-up, support and maintenance is expedited to ensure that the customer is never inconvenienced by downtime on machinery, and that Rand-Air’s reputation for customer-centric support is upheld,” he adds.

As well as completing an Atlas Copco leadership certificate at the University of Free State, Theledi is presently in his second, of a three-year, BBA Business Degree, through Mancosa.

“If it wasn’t for the encouragement and support I got from Rand-Air, I would not have had the opportunities that I have had, and I am most appreciative and grateful for their backing. In return, I believe that my enhanced skillset is also of benefit to the company and customer base,” he concludes.