John Tonkin and Associates

Technical training
meets practical application

Training courses, mentorship, and advisory services
for people who spend their days surrounded by pumps, pipes, and valves.

Improve Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)

Massively Reduce
Energy Costs

Take the hassle out of
Sales & Procurement

A Happy and Engaged Workforce

How much are you losing because of a skills-application problem?

There's no doubt about it, our industry is suffering from a skills shortage. Some people do not have the knowledge and skills required for their jobs and are costing their organisations money.But I believe we have a bigger problem: a skills-application problem.You have a skills-application problem on your hands when your people have the skills required for their jobs, but they don’t know how or when to apply them.

If you have a skills-application problem, then your organisation is losing talent, resources, time — and ultimately, lots of money.

Let's chat about how we can solve your skills-application problem together.

Change is possible through effective skills development.

Customised Training Content

Training courses are based on John’s vast bank of content, but tailored to your organisation’s needs.

Practical Application

Suddenly those complex theoretical principles become USEFUL in solving real-life problems!

Structured to Work for You

Online or in-person? On-site or at your training centre? Group training or individual mentorship? You decide!

How we deliver

Effective skills development

Customised Training

The JTA Course Catalogue includes:

  • Pump Maintenance & Operation

  • Pumping Systems

  • Multistage Pumps

  • Piping Systems

  • Valve Types

  • Electricity for Mechanicals

  • Industrial Sales

This is not an exhaustive list and each of these courses can be customised to your organisation's specific requirements.

Mentorship &
1:1 Support

John offers mentorship to anyone in the fluid movement industry from operators through to artisans and engineers.Mentorship is a great option for people who have attended one of John's courses and would like ongoing support to apply their learnings and make the changes that will result in massive savings.John also offers post-course support, where delegates will return to site, survey one of their systems, and then submit a report to John with recommendations for cost & energy savings and increased plant reliability. John will review these reports and give the delegates feedback and further recommendations.

Consulting & Software

As a UNIDO Pump Systems Optimisation Expert, John offers a pump system audit service where he will assess your system and make recommendations to reduce energy expenditure and improve plant reliability.JTA is also the southern African agent for Pipe Flow Expert, the software for pipe network modeling and flow & pressure calculations.

Skills development just got practical.

At JTA, we're in the business of positive behaviour change. When our delegates walk away inspired to do their jobs better and to seek out ways to save energy (or money — same thing!), then we know we've done our job.

Contact Us

John is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is open to in-person work in the Gauteng area and online training wherever an internet connection will take him.Are you interested in a customised training programme, individual mentorship, or John's consulting services? Book a 30-minute video call with John to discuss your requirements.

Alternatively, complete the following form and we'll be in touch.

About John Tonkin and JTA Training

John Tonkin has been closely associated with the South African and international pump market for many years. During this time he has been exposed to all facets of the industry.His career started with the Johannesburg City Council as a fitter and turner apprentice/artisan before a stint with Safmarine as a junior engineer.John's career moved on to mainstream marketing and sales when he joined the sales team of Stewarts and Lloyds (S&L) with responsibility for the sale of pumps, pipes and valves to industry and the mines. During this time he was exposed to installations, handling anything from fresh water to chemicals and effluents of all descriptions.John then became a member of the highly successful team at the S&L Training Centre in Vereeniging (staff complement of 8 and 52 discrete courses offered). He developed and presented courses on Pumping Systems, Piping Systems, Valves, Diesel Engines and Electricity for Mechanicals, in addition to programs in Industrial Marketing and Selling Skills. The target audience comprised senior managers, sales and administrative staff and artisans.In 1989, John joined Matheson and Bremner, a leading supplier of surface and submersible pumps, as Branch Manager for the Johannesburg region. He was promoted to Product Manager submersible products and later, to Marketing Director with responsibility for the company's local and international offering. During this time, his travels into Africa, America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia earned him a wealth of experience in the everyday problems encountered by people globally. A major portion of all these positions was the presentation of product and industry related technical courses.In 1997 he was made Divisional Manager for Franklin Electric (submersible electric motors) in Southern Africa, a position he held for 11 years. This period in his career was particularly fruitful as, in addition to the mechanical, and hydraulic aspects of the groundwater industry, he was also deeply involved in the electrical side of these systems. During his time at Franklin, John was responsible for the extension of the motor range up to 400kW, the introduction of control panels and the design, development and bringing to market, of a highly innovative and successful pump/motor protection and data logging relay that sold over 70 000 units.John started JTA in 2008 as a contribution to meeting the desperate need for practical skills training in the fluid movement industry. Since then, JTA has become one of the leading providers of technical skills training. John is renowned for his no-nonsense, practical approach to skills development and, judging by their feedback, his delegates appreciate the way he brings the theoretical aspects to life by constantly reflecting on the implications in practice.JTA has been active in Namibia, South Africa, Ghana, Malaysia and China. Clients are drawn from utilities, consultants, municipalities, mines, industry, and academia.John is a recognised United Nations Industrial Organisation (UNIDO) Pump Systems Optimisation Expert, having completed UNIDO's rigorous development program. He has also successfully completed the Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT) sponsored by the US Department of Energy. The list of candidates can be seen here.John's academic qualifications are:

  • National Technical Diploma

  • National Trade Diploma (Fitting & Turning)

  • Institute of Marketing and Management Diploma in Marketing

  • Program In Industrial Marketing (University of South Africa)