To address the critical shortage of engineering professionals in South Africa, Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) is proactively working to assist in tackling the root causes in the country’s education system, while providing support at various stages of the education and career development pipeline for engineering practitioners. This includes addressing the challenges the industry is dealing with as a result of the issues being faced by our country’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education system.
For the past 11 years, South Africa has seen a concerning trend in basic education. Out of approximately half a million learners annually, around 250,000 write the matric mathematics exams. Statistics reveal that only about 12% of this number achieve a pass grade of 60% or more. This translates to roughly 30,000 learners.
“Of those 30 000, we conservatively estimate that annually only about 10 000 end up at university to study engineering. Unfortunately a 60% pass rate is often insufficient to succeed in the demanding engineering programmes at university level and of those, only 1,500 may complete their degrees in engineering,” states CESA CEO, Chris Campbell.
"If we are to meet the government's ambitious goals to increase the number of students eligible to study maths and science related degrees at university to 450 000 per year, as set out in the National Development Plan, we need to be intensifying our efforts as a whole. Based on the issues with Early Childhood Development (ECD) and our primary and secondary education system, we are lobbying various government departments, including the Department of Employment and Labour, to assist in addressing the root cause of the limited number of learners who are adequately prepared to pursue engineering careers as opposed to simply setting employment equity targets which ignore the limited pipeline of learners eligible for such career choices," says Campbell.
Campbell notes that CESA and its members are actively involved in several initiatives to combat educational challenges. Many young professionals and companies affiliated to CESA offer after-hours and weekend tutoring to assist learners in grades 10 to 12 who are struggling with mathematics. “While this intervention is supplementary, it aims to provide crucial support to learners in their final years of schooling,” says Campbell.
At organisational level, CESA is strengthening the engineering profession in South Africa by emphasising mentorship programmes. Through its Young Professionals Forum, CESA encourages member companies to provide mentorship to their young engineering graduates as they develop their careers. “A university degree is only the first step in becoming a competent engineering professional. Engineering, like medicine and law, requires an intensive period of practical application to translate theoretical knowledge into real-world expertise. A graduate may understand the theory behind designing a road or water system, but they need guidance from seasoned practitioners to confidently and independently execute those complex infrastructure designs,” notes Campbell.
In addition, Campbell highlights that CESA actively promotes initiatives like job shadowing programmes, that aim to plant a seed of curiosity and inspire young learners to consider engineering as a future career path.
Through its industry-leading Business of Consulting Engineering Management Development Programme (BCE MDP), CESA’s School of Consulting Engineering (SCE) is addressing the need for leadership and management skills in order to supplement practical experience within the industry.
CESA’s BCE MDP is a customised and purpose-developed management and leadership development programme that focuses on teaching engineering practitioners within the context of the consulting engineering environment the business of consulting engineering. Taught by experienced industry practitioners, the programme equips engineers with essential management skills, bridging the gap between technical expertise and leadership capabilities by providing practical knowledge in areas such as end-to-end project delivery, contractual and financial management, risk and quality management, as well as critical interpersonal management skills.
This programme differs from traditional management programmes offered by universities by focusing on real-world situations. "The BCE MDP allows built environment practitioners to apply their learning directly within their companies, accelerating the development of these essential skills. We recommend that engineering practitioner in a consulting engineering environment, serious about becoming a manager and a leader in the industry consider enrolling in the BCE MDP,” adds Campbell.
This approach ensures that graduates are not only proficient engineers but also effective leaders capable of navigating the complexities of the industry.
"South Africa has a history of infrastructure projects that are either not maintained and neglected or not fit for purpose. Additionally, we try to deliver too many projects in a short period, which then is followed by a period where there is a slowdown in the demand for the delivery of projects.
“By being proactive in balancing the cyclic demand in our delivery plans, we would be better able to meet the demand for such skills. In addition, since it is important to maintain the infrastructure once developed, ongoing maintenance of such infrastructure needs to be planned and managed for the life cycle of such infrastructure, which is generally no less than 20 years, thereby creating an ongoing demand for capacity by the industry locally," Campbell says.
He concludes that CESA remains committed to working with government, educational institutions and industry partners to continually address the challenges facing stem education and engineering workforce development in South Africa. “By focusing on early intervention, job shadowing, practical skills development, mentorship, and leadership skills we strive to cultivate a pipeline of talented and capable engineers who can contribute to the country's growth and development,” he notes.
