Page 22 - EngineerIT August-September 2025
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SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Companies encouraged to leverage
social responsibility spend to
inspire young people to enter
technical fields
By Hans van de Groenendaal, Science and technology writer
outh Africa has produced requires today. Vocations in engineering and technology should again become
many outstanding engineers exciting and “cool.” Seeds should be sown early in young people’s school careers,
Sand scientists who in their own ideally towards the end of primary school. It is in industry’s interest to start
right are legends in the industrial, building a pipeline of young people, boys and girls, who are developing a passion
scientific and medical fields. Names to be the next generation of engineers and technologists.
like Edward Alfred Jennings, Hendrik
van der Bijl and Trevor Wadley come Supporting the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists is a positive way for industry to
to mind. Exploring their success make engineering and technology vocations “cool.” The Expo is a science fair
stories reveals that it all started early, where students can showcase their projects and investigations. At the annual
when they developed a passion and Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair (ISF), selected students
pursued it to become experts in their from 35 Expo regions in South Africa compete against the best young scientists
fields, contributing enormously to from around the country and abroad. Continued success requires funding from
South Africa’s development. industry.
It is often said that for South Africa Selected categories from these projects compete for the Hendrik J van der Bijl
to grow, the country needs people Awards. Projects are judged by industry experts drawn from sponsor companies,
with skills — a scarce commodity giving them an opportunity to share expertise and experience with learners.
worldwide. We need to sharpen our The best projects in the various categories are awarded R10 000, paid directly
education and vocational training into their bank accounts, as well as a framed certificate bearing the sponsor
and align them with what industry company’s name and logo.
22 | EngineerIT August/September 2025
