PRESS RELEASE
Skyriders is committed to developing the full potential of its employees
07 August, 2013: Skyriders has developed a reputation for being a market leader in the provision of rope access aided inspection, non-destructive testing (NDT) and work-at-height maintenance solutions - by developing the full potential of its team of fall arrest technicians.
The company's commitment to both personal and professional growth is clearly evident in Jansen Madike, who since joining Skyriders in 2008, has risen up the ranks to become senior project manager for boiler inspection, NDT and maintenance at Eskom's Medupi power station in Limpopo.
Over the past five years, Madike has taken responsibility for Skyriders rope access teams at several high profile project sites, including the installation of the swing and platform at the Orlando Towers Vertical Adventure Centre in Soweto, as well as maintenance management at the 100-m-high smoke stack at Resolute Mining's Syama gold mine in Mali. Following this success, Madike was placed at Mepudi in August 2011, and is now in charge of 57 people within a multitude of disciplines.
He says: “My first site visit at Medupi involved the general supervision over contractors working at height, in addition to the installation of personal fall arrest systems, such as nets and lifelines. As the project progressed, I proposed Skyriders' additional professional services such as installation and maintenance to the client, and our scope of work subsequently expanded.”
Madike reveals that as Skyriders' scope of work increased, so too did the requirement for the number of people on site. “The Skyriders team consisted of just eight members when we first started at Medupi. When we started to work on the structural steel, we introduced bolting, which doubled the size of the team, and we have since flourished in that field."
The project was initially scheduled to last for 72 days; however, after realising the substantial benefits of the comprehensive Skyriders offering, Madike's team has been retained indefinitely for the remainder of the project. “I am confident that we will remain onsite until all of the boilers are complete. At the moment we are busy with work on Boiler 6, however, I anticipate more demand for work on Boilers 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the near future."
Madike obtained his level 3 rope access qualification at the Height Wise Training Academy, which is owned and operated by Skyriders. In order to obtain all three levels of the rope access training, Madike was required to complete mandatory hours in the field, which he completed on several of the Skyriders project sites. He notes: “To move from level 1 to level 2, I had to achieve 500 hours of experience. To get from level 2 to level 3, I required a total of 1000 hours of onsite experience.”
In 2009, Madike graduated with a BSc in mathematics and physics. Apart from his training through Skyriders, he believes that his time as a student helped equip him for his role as senior project manager. “That part of my life has equipped me to deal with more complex projects that I’ve been involved with more recently in my role at Skyriders."
Looking to the future, Madike indicates that he plans on continuously developing himself, with the assistance of Skyriders. “In the near future, I would like to study short management courses in order to further develop my potential, and I am in the fortunate position of being provided with comprehensive and dedicated support by my employers at Skyriders," he concludes.
Ends
Notes to the Editor
There are numerous photographs specific to this press release. Please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Skyriders link.
About Skyriders
Skyriders (Pty) Ltd, established in 1998, is a leader in the South African rope access industry, providing cost- and time-saving solutions to clients in the power generation and petrochemical industries who require rope access aided inspection, NDT and maintenance work to be done in difficult to reach, high-up locations.
Skyriders Contact
Mike Zinn
Skyriders Marketing Manager
Phone: (011) 312 1418
Email: mike [at] ropeaccess [dot] co [dot] za
Web www.ropeaccess.co.za
Media Contact
Kelly Farthing
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 079 367 7889
Email: kelly [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
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