Fighting the brain drain

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31 July 2002 News

"Government's education policy favouring equalisation is popular and socially acceptable, but if this is done at the expense of allowing engineering education to suffer, industry will not be able to compete against the world's best internationally," commented Helmuth Fischer, managing director of Circuit Breaker Industries (CBI) at a recent signing ceremony at Wits University.

"Only the best people, best products, best processes, and best service at competitive prices would allow a company to survive and grow in a global market," he added. "Therefore, industry's approach has to be one of retaining high levels of excellence as opposed to the egalitarian socialistic tendencies in many spheres of South African society these days."

CBI has entered into a sponsorship agreement with the University of the Witwatersrand spanning a five-year period, sponsoring a Chair in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering called 'The CBI Chair of Lightning'.

"A professor in electrical engineering at Wits University is earning less than a product manager at CBI," says Fischer, "and in view of attractive offers from overseas, the high crime rate and limited career opportunities, it is surprising that some of those teachers are still around."

Fischer blames uncoordinated policies for many ills. "The Department of Trade and Industry is pushing manufacturers to benchmark themselves globally on the one hand, but on the other hand this is not supported by budget allocations of the Education Department and remuneration levels at the technical faculties of our universities. The Department of Home Affairs contributes its bit by keeping desperately needed skills away from the country and the industry.

"In the end," claims Fischer, "industry is again called upon to fill the gap, for which the companies are paying tax in the first instance. When approached for financial assistance by Prof Jandrell and Prof Landy from the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at Wits, I gladly obliged, realising that CBI cannot be successful in the long run if the source of good engineering talent dries up. Very few people realise that a loss of those teachers would create irreversible damage to our country's ability to develop technology which we can export."

According to Fischer this sponsorship would be worth approximately two million rand.

For more information: Helmuth Fischer, Circuit Breaker Industries, 011 928 2000.

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