11th September 2020
Own Correspondent
The Kutla Incubation Centre held an official ceremony for 76 graduates of their 8 week training program for Bread and Confectionery production. Trainees were grilled on the skills required to make various bread products like buns, loafs, doughnuts, confectionery such as scones, cakes, swiss rolls and biscuits.
“Today we award nine graduates for completing the programme and ready to face the world with the technical and management skills they have acquired from LEA,” said Godfrey Molefe, Chief Financial Officer(CFO) for the Local Enterprise Authority(LEA).
He said, “LEA replicated the same Kutla Incubator model at the Francistown Industrial Business Incubator, which has to date trained 35 people on bread and confectionary making.”
The Kutla Incubation centre like other LEA incubators, strives to support the incubated enterprises through provision of targeted capacity building interventions to accelerate and attain competitiveness and sustainability of their businesses.
These include business advisory services, technical and business management training, mentoring services to achieve high quality product and process development, market access facilitation and linkages with relevant buyers, technology and innovation support among others.
Incubated businesses also benefit from subsidized office space, lower than the market rentals. Kutla Incubation Centre offers training mainly in the machine operation, product manufacturing/production and the business practices. The centre was officially opened on the 12th of December 2017.
“Since inception, the Incubator has trained a total of 104 entrepreneurs in Bread making, Liquid Detergent, Toilet roll, Sunflower oil extraction and Wire nail manufacturing. Out of these, 26 are in business, 19 await assistance from funding institutions and 35 have gained formal employment,” said Molefe.
According to officials there are currently 17 businesses operating bakeries in various areas including North East, Francistown, Central, Chobe, Gaborone and Southern District. LEA insists it endeavours to nurture these enterprises to become competitive and sustainable bakeries, and employ fellow citizens.
Molefe said, “This programme is well aligned to the recent decision by Government to restrict importation of bread products into Botswana, in order to protect this industry and stimulate local production. Graduates from this programme therefore fit well into this dispensation and their establishments will significantly contribute towards this national agenda.”
The contents of the Bread and Confectionary Course Content included the operation of the machine safely through safety training, understand food science of bread making and confectionery to enable the trainees to understand the basic principles of the science of bread making, allowing for basic trouble shooting, adhere to quality assurance(operating within design and environmental limits), maintain housekeeping and preventative maintenance throughout the operation of the machines and following the machinery specified standard operation procedures during operation.
Graduates were also trained to reproduce basic recipes and produce consistent bakery goods inclusive of BOBS standards on the same and training on basic food, kitchen and personal hygiene as well as food handling (HACCP) and related legal obligations such as Public Health Act and the Control Acts.
Other course material focused on equipping graduates with knowledge developing basic techniques in bread making and confectionery with a practicum based training methodology and upskill them in business formalisation, business plan development, records keeping, marketing and other components necessary to enable them to start and grow their businesses.
