VEDCO applauds Bill Venter-EIF Scholarship Fund Success

26 Jan 2000 News

The Vocational Education Development Company (VEDCO) has applauded the success of the Bill Venter-EIF Scholarship Fund, set up two years ago to assist promising young financially disadvantaged South Africans pursue careers in electronic engineering.

So far, 66 students from 11 technical colleges around the country offering engineering training with electronics as a field of study have benefited from the fund. Four have completed their studies, seven have reached the top grade N6 level, reports VEDCO Project Manager Shirley Steenekamp.

"The project has been very successful," says Steenekamp. "Although no official mechanism is in place to do tracer studies on graduates, indications from all the colleges involved are that students have been readily accommodated in industry upon completion of their studies. We expect to assist an additional 11 new students by the end of the year."

An amount of R30 000 per year for three years was originally earmarked for the fund by Dr Bill Venter, Chairman of the Altech group of companies. R60 000 of the total amount has already been allocated to deserving students showing an aptitude for electronics and a commitment to studying.

Now Steenekamp and VEDCO Company Secretary Ben Botha are hoping the project will be extended. "Very few industries, companies or individuals have been as generous in supporting national projects such as this, and more importantly, national bursary allocations in the technical college sector," says Botha. "We look forward to developing this project into a learnership scheme in the future, which will involve companies in the electronics industry in on-job placement of students benefiting from the bursary fund."

Technical colleges involved in the project have been carefully vetted and selected by VEDCO which is also tasked by the EIF to administer the fund and pay bursary money over to the students.

Bursaries amount to R500 per student per trimester, which covers class fees and, in cases where these fees are lower, the cost of textbooks. Bursars are selected on academic merit and financial need, and allocations are made only after proof of progress has been received and recommendations ratified by the EIF Bursary Fund Committee.

"The scholarship fund has undoubtedly been beneficial and its strict regulation and administration is ensuring students achieve a high standard of competence," says Botha. "Industry sub-sectors attracting the most interest amongst students are information technology, industrial electronics and communications."

Further reading:

From the editor's desk: Inspiring the next generation
Technews Publishing News
   Welcome to the August issue of Dataweek. Peter Howells is still on leave, so I am back for this issue. I hope you enjoy the content and find value in it. August is Women’s Month in South Africa, ...

Read more...

---

Procurement is becoming a competitive advantage
RS South Africa News
As mining, manufacturing and industrial businesses continue to navigate rising costs, supply chain disruption and increasing pressure to improve operational performance, procurement and inventory management have become strategic business priorities rather than simply administrative functions.

Read more...

---

Powell Electronics signs partnership agreement with IOT Electronics
IOT Electronics News
Powell Electronics has entered into a partnership agreement with IOT Electronics to strengthen its presence across southern Africa.

Read more...

---

Omniflex delivers ICCP systems across London
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists News
Omniflex has supplied impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems for a range of prominent buildings across London, helping to protect reinforced concrete structures from corrosion and extending their service life.

Read more...

---

New appointments for Würth Electronics South Africa
Würth Electronics South Africa News
New appointments for Würth Electronics South Africa

Read more...

---

MTN celebrates 80 Western Cape digital graduates
News
Eighty unemployed young people from across the Western Cape have successfully completed MTN South Africa’s Digital Skills for Digital Jobs (DS4DJ) programme, earning accredited qualifications in Data Analytics, Systems Development and Cybersecurity.

Read more...

---

GirlCode Hackathon 2026 kicks off across South Africa and Botswana
News
GirlCode, in partnership with Absa Group, Truecaller, MTN, SAP Fioneer, RS South Africa and other ecosystem partners, successfully hosted the first leg of the 2026 GirlCode Hackathon.

Read more...

---

Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.

Read more...

---

From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction, Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.

Read more...

---

Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.

Read more...

---