News


Altair student day inspires STEM interest

16 August 2017 News

Altair South Africa recently hosted a group of potential engineering students as part of its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) initiative to expose them to the opportunities available in the engineering field.

The company offers software in five categories related to Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and High Performance Computing (HPC).

“The main criterion to attend the day was obviously an interest in studying engineering. The project has grown exponentially since we started three years ago, with over 60 learners joining us this year,” explains Gronum Smith, country manager of Altair SA.

The invitation was extended to all schools in the area including Malibu High, Oval Engineering School, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Kayamandi High, Cloetesville High and Rhenish Girls High in Stellenbosch, and Parel Vallei, Strand High and Hottentots Holland in the Somerset West area. “This year we tested their analytical skills with practical sessions, which they seemed to enjoy, along with all the presentations,” said Gronum.

The keynote speaker was Christopher Maxwell from Bloodhound SSC, who spoke about the technology behind building a car to go faster than 1000 mph, which resulted in lots of questions from the audience. Other presentations, along with those from Altair, focused on each engineering discipline including aeronautical (SA National Space Agency), industrial (University of Stellenbosch), mechatronics (Greenchain Engineering), civil (By Design), chemical (Veolia) and electrical/software (Alphawave).

Feedback from the pupils was positive and many of them appreciated the value of such a day. The common thread throughout the day by all the presenters was to work hard, be passionate, take risks, be entrepreneurial and realise that learning never ends.

“One pupil’s comment at the end of the day of ‘I had never considered mechanical engineering but had decided during the mechanical engineering session that it is my chosen career and I just wanted to say thank you for that’ definitely makes a day like this worthwhile,” concludes Gronum.

For more information contact Altair South Africa, +27 (0)21 831 1500, frichardson@altair.co.za, www.altair.co.za





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Revamped technical training centre in Welkom
News
Resolution Circle has announced the launch of its newly revamped training centre in Welkom, which will enhance technical education and foster industry partnerships.

Read more...
E-mobility: Navigate safety, interoperability and conformance
Concilium Technologies News
In this whitepaper, these challenges are discussed in more detail and the question is asked: How can EV and EVSE manufacturers navigate a complex regulatory landscape and deliver a quality product, without compromising time-to-market projections?

Read more...
Navigating South Africa’s transition from the NQF to OQSF framework
News
South Africa is at a crossroads of a significant educational and vocational transition, as it shifts from the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to the Occupational Qualifications Sub Framework (OQSF) managed by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations.

Read more...
Practical insights: Draft regulations on proposed sectoral targets
News
On 1 February 2024, the Minister of Employment and Labour issued new draft regulations concerning sectoral targets (draft regulations), providing a 90-day window for interested parties to comment.

Read more...
Top skills needed in microelectronics industry
News
The EU funded project MicroElectronics Training, Industry and Skills (METIS), which began in 2019, has officially concluded, and with this, SEMI Europe has published the final Yearly Monitoring Report.

Read more...
RS expands its professional lineup
RS South Africa News
RS PRO offers a wide range of high-quality electronics components, to meet a range of needs, from industrial connectors and passives to the latest test and measurement equipment.

Read more...
Alternative energy resource hub
News
Mouser Electronics is providing engineers with key information to solve today’s design challenges through its dedicated alternative energy resource centre.

Read more...
NECTO Studio 6.0 brings circuits to life
News
MIKROE has added increased graphical functionality and Clang support for ARM and RISC-V to its cross-platform IDE for embedded applications.

Read more...
Microchip earns certification in vehicle cybersecurity
Altron Arrow News
Microchip Technology’s corporate processes associated with specific automotive work products have recently been audited by a third party, UL Solutions, and certified as compliant to ISO/SAE 21434.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: A scourge on education
Technews Publishing News
The current government has done very little to curb the rampant affect that loadshedding has had on education in the last 10 years.

Read more...