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online course or a three-day option that includes a visit to the SAIW Materials Testing Laboratory. The Fundamentals course is a prerequisite. Making technical knowledge work commercially Sassda’s half-day Selling of Stainless Steel Workshop brings technical understanding into the commercial conversation. It covers grades and applications, environmental conditions, the sales process and life-cycle costing. The aim is to equip salespeople to give customers informed advice and explain why the correct grade and application matter. That distinction is central to the material’s value proposition. If customers assess stainless steel only on its initial cost, they may overlook durability, maintenance requirements and service life. A salesperson who can explain these factors is better placed to make a credible case for the material and help the customer make an appropriate choice. Sassda Training Manager Mankabe More says, “Stainless steel has specific properties and requirements that people need to understand if they are going to specify it, sell it or work with it properly. Sassda’s role is to make that knowledge accessible across the value chain, so members can make better decisions and help their customers realise the material’s full value.” Sassda’s training programme includes in-house shop-floor training for warehouse, workshop and quality- assurance teams. Delivered at a company’s premises, sessions can address workplace needs directly and are limited to 15 participants. This allows training to focus on the people and processes that influence how stainless steel is stored, handled and processed. Strategic Training in 2027 For Sassda, training is a practical way to support the competitiveness of the sector. Better-informed employees can help reduce errors in selection and handling, improve the quality of customer advice and support more consistent standards across organisations. The benefits extend beyond individual learners: businesses strengthen their internal capability, while customers receive better guidance on specifying and using stainless steel. The association’s member model is designed to support participation. Depending on membership tier, Sassda members qualify for free training, with a 25% discount for staff members not covered by their Sassda membership tier benefit. This gives companies an incentive to develop skills across roles and levels, rather than concentrating specialist knowledge in a small group. Looking to 2027, the strategic opportunity is to build on this foundation and reinforce Sassda’s place as a source
of stainless steel-specific expertise. The training programme already spans introductory, commercial, technical and shop- floor needs. Its breadth reflects the reality that the material’s performance depends on informed decisions at multiple points, from selection and purchase to fabrication and maintenance. “Member value means helping companies apply stainless steel knowledge where it matters in their business. Training gives people the confidence to ask the right questions, make informed choices and explain the reasons behind them,” says More. As the sector looks to improve productivity and compete on quality and lifecycle performance, that knowledge becomes an industry asset. Sassda’s role is to cultivate it: making stainless steel expertise accessible, relevant and useful to the people whose decisions determine how well the material performs.
To find out more about Sassda’s Training Programmes in 2027 click here
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Issue 4 – 2026
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