Industry body proactive in confronting skills deficit

The South African Institute of Measurement and Control (SAIMC) has initiated its own specialised skills development programme to confront the skills deficiency, reports SAIMC president Paulo da Silva.

Da Silva says the skills deficiency, which has been termed a national crisis by various industry stakeholders, is the main challenges in the process control industry, and that the SAIMC is in the process of creating a mentorship programme for students, in order to provide training and enable skills development.

Process control and electrical heating solutions company unitemp’s Production Manager, Ulf Hitzeroth, concurs that there is a severe shortage of skills in the local industry, especially in the engineering sector and this along with the electricity shortage in South Africa, forms part of an immediate crisis affecting every aspect of business.

“These are clear concerns as critics see this as proof of South Africa falling into the downward spiral of becoming a third-world economy,” comments Hitzeroth.

He says that the base of experienced engineers is being eroded but this, however, opens up an opportunity for Unitemp, since it is largely in the service industry.

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Published May 2-8, Engineering News

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