Jeshika Ramchund-Moonsamy.
CESA’s Young Professionals Forum urges government to put in place initiatives to address anomalies in procurement and to create both skilled and unskilled job opportunities.
Consulting Engineers South Africa’s (CESA’s )Young Professionals Forum (YPF) of is in solidarity with the students at tertiary institutions across the country in their fight against exorbitant fees and fee increases. The success of the national #FeesMustFall movement has demonstrated the power of focused engagement in bringing about positive change.
According to YPF chairperson Jeshika Ramchund-Moonsamy, however, the damage to public and university property, as well as isolated incidents of violence are condemned in the strongest possible terms and has reduced the students’ ability to make a meaningful impact.
Temporary reprieve
She says that #FeesMustFall may have brought temporary reprieve to the thousands of students who were desperately trying to complete their studies. She says this depicts only one side of a “warped coin”.
“We have barely unpacked the reality of the vast number of students who are unable to secure workplace training to complete their studies. This is exacerbated by the lack of meaningful jobs for new graduates and entrants to the job market.”
Infrastructure development
With South Africa’s GDP at 1,3% in the three months to June 2015, the worst performance since the 2009 recession, businesses continue to struggle to stay afloat. CESA represents over 537 consulting engineering practices and, as the driver of infrastructure development, is engaging with government on maximising the benefit of infrastructure development for economic growth and the ability of the construction sector to drive employment and training. It has been instrumental in tackling issues related to the procurement of professional services, promoting service delivery and stopping the scourge of corruption which erodes government’s ability to deliver much-needed services.
Engineers needed
Ramchund-Moonsamy adds that the CESA YPF is particularly concerned about the students in engineering and construction-related studies. At the launch of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation Africa Engineering Week at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in September 2014, science and technology minister Naledi Pandor highlighted a shortage of engineers in South Africa and made a clarion call to increase the graduate pool.
“However, the recent CESA YPF National Survey revealed that a staggering 71% of young professionals in the industry know students at tertiary institutions who cannot find work and in-service training to complete their studies. It is also worrying that 65% of YPs in the industry who graduate in engineering (Bachelor of Science and National Diploma) have difficulty finding employment after graduation.”
She said it is commendable that government has identified the essential nature of adequate engineering skills in the country. However, an enabling environment is required to attract, train and retain engineering skills.
The CESA YPF therefore urges the government on behalf of potential entrants to the industry and students to put initiatives in place to address the anomalies in procurement and to accelerate the ability of infrastructure service delivery to create a multitude skilled and unskilled job opportunities across South Africa.
Contact Dennis Ndaba, CESA, Tel 011 463-2022, dennis@cesa.co.za
