Preparing future engineers for the workplace
Engineering industry experts prepare prospective engineers for life after graduation.
Ekurhuleni West TVET College graduate Jabulani Phiri from Katlehong recently formed Career Guidance and Support 4IR, an initiative to engage with varsity students about their future in engineering after graduation.
Through Career Guidance and Support 4IR, Jabulani also seeks to teach learners about what they can expect in their careers considering the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how they can succeed in the digital era.
He further plans on holding these educational talks at other TVET colleges around Ekurhuleni.
“Career Guidance and Support 4IR will connect learners with industry experts who can give them a clear understanding of what to expect after graduation,” said Jabulani.
“We want to spark personal growth within learners with information relevant to their courses because many students have undertaken engineering courses, but have no idea what to do with the qualification after graduation.”
The first leg of the educational tour featured a panel of speakers working in different industries within engineering.
The panel included Sakhile Xaba, an electrical engineer, Themba Vilakazi, a training and development officer from Artisan In Motion (AIM), Linda Xaba, a technician from Eskom, and Mandla Mokgosi, an engineering lecturer.
“Education is expensive and life after graduation is hard because of our unemployment rate,” said Jabulani.
“If we can ensure that future engineering graduates are equipped with the right information about competency centres, apprenticeships and entrepreneurial skills, we can help build entrepreneurs who can help combat the increasing unemployment status of the youth.”
The workshop covered the function of Skills Education Training Authorities (SETAs), the private sector and the life of an engineer in the Fourth Industrial Revolution among other topics.
“The information from Career Guidance and Support 4IR is helpful to our students in the final year of studies, it will prepare them well for the workplace,” said Wiseman Shivambu, student representative council (SRC) at Ekurhuleni West TVET College.
Themba pledged to get workplace training for the students who were present at the workshop last Friday.
“We were pleased that on our first roll-out we were able to secure much-needed training and development for artisans from a reputable artisan company such as AIM,” said Jabulani.
“Every engineering student is a potential entrepreneur if we get them into training centres as soon as possible; we’ll help start a few companies.”
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