ENGINEERING COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA “ endorses the National Infrastructure Plan of government and seeks to provide support in the implementation of the Plan” Date: 10 April

Presentation Outline State Presidents Call National High Priority Infrastructure Challenges An Engineering Profession relevant to the National Imperatives ECSA’s Response to the State President’s Call ECSA & PICC – MoI Work of HRDC Development of Occupational Skills NMCCMC

State President’s Call “For the year 2012 and beyond, we invite the nation to join government in a massive infrastructure development drive. This will boost the level of economy and create job opportunities”. - President Jacob Zuma in his State of the Nation Address on 9 February 2012.

National high priority infrastructure challenges Development of standardised and modular school buildings (~200 schools in 2013) Design and development of affordable university student accommodation (backlog ~ 200k) Increased rate of electrification of households to over 300k households p/a from around 200k Address Water leakages Role out of broad band internet connectivity to rural areas Provision of health care facilities 4

An Engineering Profession relevant to the national imperatives Introspection of the Engineering Profession  Shape (gender, race), size, age profile  Increased diversity and numbers National Development Plan  Building a capable State  Active citizenry  Developing the human resource skills base National Infrastructure Programme  Skills shortage  Procurement Policy, Systems, and Practices 5

ECSA’s Response to The State President’s Call ECSA invited a smaller group of stakeholders to kick-start the process – Future deliberations would be expanded to solicit a broader range of stakeholder inputs to ensure reasonable levels of representation. The group generated a single, consolidated discussion paper for engagement with Minister Patel :Economic Dev. Ministry and the PICC – The discussion paper is available on request. The above engagements resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Intent (MoI).

ECSA & PICC - MoI ECSA & PICC Signed an MoI – On the 19 October 2012, ECSA signed a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) with the PICC at a Presidential Infrastructure Investment Conference which was held in Sandton. The partnership will initially focus on the development strategies in two key areas: – The development of Engineering skills and capacity to support the roll out and establishment of national infrastructure. – The development of procurement policies and practices which will ensure "value for money"

ECSA & PICC MoU 8 The MoI has been converted into a MoU. This be signed with the PICC in the near future. Work has commenced as outlined in the next slides. The purpose of the MoU is to provide a framework for support by ECSA to the PICC in the implementation of the National Infrastructure Plan for effective delivery of infrastructure at all levels of government spheres ECSA’s role: facilitator to mobilize engineering expertise and skills.

Human Resource Development Councilll The HRDC of SA commissioned a Technical Task Team (TTT) to identify the challenges related to the expansion of professionals in the different professions in SA. An analysis of the challenges related to producing an increased number of professionals highlighted that professional bodies need to play additional roles to those typically in the regulations regulating their professions, beyond: – the accreditation of educational programmes, – the registration of professionals, – providing advice to government on matters relating to their respective professions – and enforcing their Codes of Conduct.

Work of the HRDC The TTT looked at challenges with respect to growing number of professionals across the pipeline, which includes inter-alia: 1.Entering education and training (schooling through to tertiary) 2.Sustaining learners through post-school education (throughput and completion) 3.Entering the world of work (access, experience and registration) 4.Career Progression and Development (Continuing Professional Development)

DEVELOPMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS The pathway that learners need to travel to become professionals to become tradespeople or other vocationally recognised occupations are: Completing a theoretical programme at an institution of learning which must meet certain national occupational requirements This learning normally includes some simulated practice or laboratory work It is then followed by a required period of structured workplace learning, the elements of which are nationally set by an assessment body for that occupation 11

PATHWAY FOR OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS……. continued They then undergo a final assessment of their competence conducted by a trade test agency or some other occupational assessment body Only if they pass this assessment are they able to seek employment as qualified tradespeople or occupation holders It is envisaged that national “Occupational Teams” would be established and piloted for the occupations, focusing on a single occupation or closely related group of occupations

NMCCMC COGTA established the National Municipal Capacity Coordination and Monitoring Committee as an overarching institutional structure aimed at: – monitoring the implementation of capacity building, – support initiatives and training programmes that are targeted at local government – and assessing the impact made thereof. ECSA is represented on the Technical NMCCMC that focuses on operational matters related to capacity building.

Next Steps To promote professional development in terms of the to be confirmed MoU by: Assisting candidates and graduates to work towards developing their competencies for professional registration Developing a cohort of mentors and encouraging them to make themselves available to support and assist graduates with training Requesting and appealing to employers to invest in the development of engineering graduates

Questions? Thank you! 15