It is well understood that the southern African minerals and metals industry is short of skills. This is no different to the rest of the world.
Perhaps the skills needed in these disciplines in the southern African region, like many other developing economies, are still high because of the relatively unpopular remoteness when compared with the developed world.
Opportunities abound for people qualifying with tertiary qualifications in mining and metallurgy or associated disciplines of mechanical, electrical or chemical engineering.
The qualification can also open doors into other sectors such as human resources, financial and medical-nursing.
The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg is the first engineering and the built environment faculty in South Africa to offer global education to a full range of professional engineering qualifications.
It offers programmes that are accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa.
Various undergraduate or postgraduate courses are offered in building, chemical, civil, electrical and computer engineering, metallurgy, extraction metallurgy, industrial, mechanical, mining, mineral surveying, town planning engineering management, and power and control engineering.
Peter Knottenbelt, co-head of department and director facilitator of the University of Johannesburg’s mining department, offers this advice about a career in mining.
“In South Africa there are only four universities that offer mining engineering qualifications. University of Witswatersrand (BSc Hon Mining), University of Pretoria (BSc Hon Mining), University of Johannesburg (B Tech and ND Mining Engineering) and Unisa (B Tech and ND Mining Engineering).
“For entry to any engineering qualification you need strong mathematics and science knowledge and skills.”
“Personal characteristics should include good people skills as most of the graduates end up in management and supervisory roles.
“The qualification can also assist the individual in developing mining consultancies as well as service industries.
“Some mining engineers even end up working at banks as investment specialists,” he says.
For more information on this career visit:
– The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy at www.saimm.co.za.
– The University Of Johannesburg at www.uj.ac.za.
– The University Witswatersrand at www.wits.ac.za.
– The University of Pretoria at www.up.ac.za.
