From relocating its Johannesburg training facilities and complying with new regulations to the importance of first-aid training, St John South Africa used the 2019 A-OSH Expo as an opportunity to inform

First-aid training provider, St John, is no stranger to A-OSH and this was its fourth consecutive year at the occupational safety and health (OSH) exhibition. Taking part in the event, which brought numerous industry players to the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, is a “no-brainer” for the organisation.

“The one event we have to be at is A-OSH. For us it is a premier event at which to engage with our stakeholders at all levels on a one-on-one basis rather than via traditional marketing methods,” says Chris Martin, business development manager at St John. Part of the appeal of the expo is the niche audience that it draws for St John.

“Everyone needs first-aid training, but A-OSH allows us to target a specific segment or niché of our market,” Martin notes.

St John used the platform to highlight its core service offerings including first-aid training, health and safety training, as well as community-health development opportunities.

“Health and safety, and certainly first aid, is often overlooked. We can’t stress enough the importance of having these fundamental principles in place. It is literally a case of life and death,” Martin says.

While there are numerous changes in the regulations around the accreditation of training providers, St John is unaffected. Bheko Hlengwa, marketing officer for training at St John, comments: “We’re proud to say that St John is one of the training providers already accredited with the Department of Labour and relevant bodies.

“We can safely say that St John is fully compliant with all the changes to legislation in terms of first-aid training.” Among the number of changes, St John, along with its peers, will be moving to the Quality Council’s Training Organisation (QCTO) later this year.

The organisation has also regained its Level 1 BEE status. It is teaming up with government on its Youth Employment Service (YES) campaign and is relocating its Johannesburg branch to 220 Jan Smuts Drive, Rosebank.

“Our premises were previously based in Braamfontein, which is historically a very important place for St John, but is not necessarily the best place for training clients. Our new site is very central and prominent and we hope to attract many new clients to undertake training at the new premises,” Martin concludes.

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