Bongani Majola
At the beginning of last year Morgan Motshabi and Sphiwe Gumbi had never sat in front of a computer. By the beginning of this year, they had qualifications as computer-assisted engineers and had landed good jobs in the drawing office of Bateman Engineering Ltd.
A one-year computer-assisted draughting programme at the African Academy for Computer Assisted Engineering transformed them into highly employable professionals. The non-profit school in Boksburg, Johannesburg, accommodates young people of all races from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Draughting involves computer-aided drawing of constructions such as buildings and bridges. Pre-entry screening of applicants is rigorous. Prospective students need a technical matric (or equivalent) with mathematics, science and technical drawing. As they become familiar with different computer software, students delve into diverse engineering disciplines such as mechanical draughting, electrical draughting, structural steel detailing and the fundamentals of design.
It’s not only computing, though: students also go through an intensive life-skills programme, where companies such as Sanlam talk to students every week about banking, business ethics, insurance and contracts. The academy also has its own version of Survivor in the form of the Outward Bound programme. Here students gain confidence in team building, managing deadlines and interpersonal skills.
The academy achieved a 100% pass rate last year, and only 11 of the 58 students are not yet contracted to companies.
“The academy plays a proactive role in the placement process,” says administrative and operations manager Debbie Prinsloo, “assisting as many graduates as possible to leave at the end of the course with a firm offer of employment safely in their pockets.”
Each student costs the academy at least R21 000 a year, but generous donor funding means that the most financially disadvantaged students pay only R750 each for the whole course. A student whose household income exceeds R5 000 a month pays R8 500.