The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela University have hosted another successful STEM Career Day in Gqeberha for 60 learners drawn from schools around the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality.
The STEM in ACTION is a Physical Science and Mathematics intervention programme which takes place on the Missionvale Campus of the Nelson Mandela University, to promote STEM careers. This is done through the promotion and development of Physical Science and Mathematics skills of Grade 9 to 12 learners. The number of learners on the programme has grown from 251 since inception in 2010 to 19,897 in 2023 while the number of schools have increased from 14 to 86 during the same period.
STEM in ACTION programme manager, Isabel Van Gend, says the purpose is to expose learners to and promote careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
‘’This time we focus on Grade 11 learners to expose them to alternative careers, especially in the STEM fields to make an informed choice about their future. The key takeaway would be for learners to have been exposed to the fields of engineering and information technology and that they can have conversations and demonstrations regarding everyday work of professionals in those fields.”
Engineers in various fields took turns to share their experiences of the good and challenging times in the life of an engineer. SANRAL candidate civil engineer, Jernel Marienoothoo, from KwaZulu-Natal, says fitness becomes critical sometimes.
“Engineering entails adapting to different environments. You can be indoors or outdoors on site. During your inspections, you might have to use your outdoor skills like crawling under culverts, walking many kilometres, running down bushes – it’s quite a fun job that has many responsibilities,” said Marienoothoo.
Her colleague, Munawwara Mouradi, also a SANRAL candidate engineer, is part of SANRAL’s Training Excellence Academy (TEA) programme and works on an eleven-kilometre road upgrade from KwaMashu to Umdloti north of Durban.
“I would be in the office in the morning and would go do inspections on site in pavement construction and inspect layers as part of quality control. I’m part of a five-year Training Excellence Academy (TEA) programme which was my stepping stone to where I am today, on the construction site. I am currently in the design phase of the programme.”
Learners selected from various schools described the Career Day as an opportunity to make informed decisions about their future. Sibalwethu Mtwebana, a Grade 11 learner from Morningside High School in Gqeberha, was full of praise for the session where engineering aspects were explained by professionals.
“Today I’ve learnt that STEM helps to build people which enables them to choose what careers they want to pursue, because I might be in Grade 11 but still be confused about the career I want to pursue. It has re-opened my eyes and I am looking at civil engineering, but I am not sure yet.”
Professional technologist at the SANRAL Training Excellence Academy, Akhona Juba, spoke about the importance of Maths and Science in exposing learners to detail, and was outright in encouraging learners to pursue careers in engineering.
“There are no short cuts, it’s hard work,” he advised. “You need to study hard to earn great results. Everyone is getting to university and completing qualifications and the job market is tight. Good results will ensure you get a better spot compared to the next person.”
SANRAL mentor coach and design engineer, Shaheil Khoosal, spoke at length about disciplines of engineering, high school requirements towards an engineering career and SANRAL projects. Learners were taken through the process of applying for bursaries at SANRAL. They were told that there are 142 critical skills in South Africa.
NMB Communications
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