Capacity and Capability in Civil Engineering

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Capacity and Capability in Civil
Engineering RPF 22 November 2005 Sam Amod Pr
Eng SAICE President-elect Tel [phone]
email sam_at_decjhb.co.za
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Construction spend breakthrough the predicted
high road .???
How many more graduates do we need ?
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Engineer to population ratios
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There are 15 000 civil engineers, technologists
and technicians Shown below is the employed
per sector
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Some 6000 educated and trained in SA have left
the industry mostly over the past 25 years. Why
have they gone?

• Low salaries
• Restructuring and lack of recognition of the need
  for technical skills
• Lack of career development
• Early retirement
• by getting rid of older people an
  organisations KNOWLEDGE is being lost, not just
  its people - Kevin Thomson
• Employment equity
• In addition reduced graduations in the eighties
  and nineties
• South Africa must use all its skills
• engineers are trained to work systematically,
  solve problems and get things done Cyril
  Ramaphosa
• South Africa needs more engineers.

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The local government crisis
No civil professionals 79 of the 231 local
councils have no civil engineers, technologists
or technicians 4 of the 47 district councils have
no civil engineers, technologists or
technicians Only one civil technician 42 local
councils have only one civil technician 4
district councils have only one civil
technician Only young staff 38 local councils
employ only technologists and technicians under
the age of 35 6 district councils employ only
technologists and technicians under the age of 35
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Local Municipalities
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Demand vacancies to carry out existing tasks

• Private sector
• Consulting

Vacancies 3 to 5 Out of 12 000
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Civil Engineering Graduations
Universities
Technikons
Matric Maths 2004
Career guidance at all schools with potential
candidates
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Enrolments vs Graduations
Enrolments at all Tertiary Institutions
Graduations at all Tertiary Institutions
Bottlenecks

• Matric maths
• Bursaries
• Foundation / orientation
• Size of classes
• Experiential training

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The status quo
Engineer
Technologist
Age
Technician
All combined
Age
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Is there a hole in the bucket ?
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No Intervention
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What do we do to increase capacity?

• Nurture the skills we have
• Reduce the losses
• Improve the pipeline of new skills
• Encourage maths and science at higher grade
• Increase uptake at universities
• Increase graduations
• Prioritise coaching and mentoring
• Push back retirement, bring back those who have
  left and access global resources

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Best case keep existing, entice registration,
attract all we can
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How do we work smarter?

• Stretch our resources
• Recognise these skills as scarce
• Clients must lead change boldly
• Create relationships between public and private
  sectors
• Sensible procurement
• Align industry towards national goals

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Umaluleki InitiativePlace at least 500 more
civil professionals in local government

• Build teams
• Retired or senior engineer
• 2 students needing experiential training
• 2 graduates to be trained towards professional
  registration
• Select at least one of the young people to carry
  on with a BTech

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Civil engineers are the Leonardo
Da Vincis of the 21st century President
Thabo Mbeki, 2003
Thank You