The South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) has announced plans aimed at addressing SA’s grave engineering skills deficiency. According to SAIEE president, Viv Crone, the country is significantly lagging behind other emerging economies, like India, with regard to the numbers of engineers being graduated per annum.
"Annually, the United States produces 289 qualified engineers per million people in the country, China, 225 and India 95. SA generates 2000 engineers a year which translates into approximately 45 graduates per million people. To match China or the US would mean that SA will have to graduate 10 000 to 13 000 engineers annually, a six-fold increase," he says.
To address this problem, the SAIEE has a multifaceted programme in place that includes bursaries and mentorship workshops.
"The Institute has been running education bursary programmes for many years, providing financial support for tertiary level studies to students including previously disadvantaged individuals. This is in keeping with the Institute's social responsibility, ethos and objectives," he explains. "Moreover, the task that lies before South Africa does not end at promoting the entry into engineering faculties. Mentorship of young inexperienced graduates is an efficient method of assisting them to increase their knowledge, self confidence and contribute more to the jobs they occupy."
The SAIEE also has seminars planned that target young engineers and also CPD (continuing professional development) requirements for practising engineers. CPD is a mandatory requirement for continued registration with the Engineering Council of SA.
Crone says there are currently seven bursary recipients studying at a number of the country's tertiary institutions, adding up to a total expenditure of almost R100 000 per annum.
"The large contribution the Institute makes on an ongoing basis towards the training of new engineers, provides an important stimulus to improving skill levels throughout the industry. This obviously holds long term benefits for the country as a whole," says Crone.
He adds that even SA's artisan programmes have fallen away badly. "Previously, companies like Eskom, Transnet and others, trained 50 000 apprentices annually. This has now dropped to only 1000."
It is critical that South Africa is self sufficient in technical skills.
"The alternative is that we become a technology 'outpost'," he notes. "The SAIEE is additionally offering a new service to its members and companies in the form of a bursary administration service. Individual members and businesses wishing to sponsor bursaries may approach the Institute to handle the necessary detailed administration of such schemes."
Crone says that as the engineering sector and the country as a whole addresses the need for education and skills development, it has become obvious that aiming for quality, rather than quantity, is the correct strategy.
Full information about the scheme can be found on the SAIEE website www.saiee.org.za
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| www: | www.saiee.org.za |
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