The need to building a diverse and

representative Engineering Profession

Dr Ossie Franks Pr Eng

CEO Engineering Council of South Africa

Gibb OfficesSunning hill,

Johannesburg

24 June 2011

Engineering Millstones of the 20th Century

Electrification

Automobile

Airplane

Water supply & distribution

Electronics

Radio and television

Agricultural mechanization

Computers

Telephone (fixed & mobile)

Air conditioning/refrigeration

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Intercity highways

Space flight

Internet

Imaging

Household appliances

Health technologies

Petrochemical technologies

Laser and fiber optics

Nuclear technologies

High-performance materials

Engineering’s Contribution

1) Benefits were largely universal

2) Depended on timely parallel accomplishments of science, mathematics, and medicine

3) Resulting devices were affordable by large numbers of people

4) Engineering qualifications/profession offers social mobility

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Engineering Grand Challenges

Make solar energy economical

Provide energy from fusion

Develop carbon sequestration methods

Manage the nitrogen cycle

Advance personalized learning

Provide access to clean water

Improve urban infrastructure

Engineer better medicines

Advance health informatics

Counter nuclear terror

Secure cyberspace

Enhance virtual reality

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Globalization of Engineering: Boeing 787 Dreamliner

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So then how does South Africa rank against its global competitors?

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Competitiveness Model

Countries at each stage

South Africa’s Global Competitiveness Ranking

Source: The Global Competitiveness Report 2010-2011

South Africa’s Global Competitiveness Index

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Problematic factors for doing business

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What then are the big challenges we face ?

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Our Challenges: Political

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Our Challenges: Political

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Our Challenges: Economic

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Our Challenges: Economic

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Our Challenges: Social

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Our Challenges: Health

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Our Challenges: Health & Skills

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Our Challenges: Education

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Our Critical Challenges

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Further challenges at local government level

• Lack of basic infrastructure

• Housing backlog

• Poor access to water and electricity

• Ageing cohort of engineering professionals

• Corruption

• Lack of engineering skills contributes to these challenges and lack of delivery to communities.

WEF Global Competitiveness Report

Fifth Pillar: Higher Education and Training

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So how are we doing in the area of engineering skills to support the national economy?

Report on SA’s Infrastructure

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“It’s not our wealth that created our infrastructure, but our infrastructure that created out wealth!”

John F Kennedy

Infrastucture’s contribution to socio – economic development

Comparison of Citizens per registered Engineer

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China India Brazil UK USA Malaysia South Africa

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

130 157 227311 389

543

3166

Allyson Lawless: Numbers and Needs (2005)

Actual Target2008 2014

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

7888

15000

3400

80008082

15000

5939

12000

Engineering Life and Physical SciencesAnimal and Human Health Teacher Education

Actual & Targeted graduate output

An analysis of the 2001 national intake cohortof engineering students at SA HEIs.

Graduated within 5 years

Still registered after 5 years

4 year Bachelor’s (Eng)

54% 19%

National Diploma (Eng)

17% 14%

Scott, I., Yeld, N., & Hendry, J. (2007). A case for improving teaching and learning in South African higher education. Pretoria: Council on Higher Education (CHE) and Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), http://www.che.ac.za/documents/d000155/index.php.

% of Eng. students who graduate within 5 yrs

Black African White

4 year Bachelor’s (Eng) 32% 64%

National Diploma (Eng) 16% 28%

Scott, I., Yeld, N., & Hendry, J. (2007). A case for improving teaching and learning in South African higher education. Pretoria: Council on Higher Education (CHE) and Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), http://www.che.ac.za/documents/d000155/index.php.

Why regulate the Engineering profession?

• Engineering work...... is accompanied by risks to health, safety, environment, sustainability, consequently …

• Engineering work must therefore be carried out by

competent & accountable registered professionals.

• Engineering Professions Act, No. 46 of 2000

• ECSA is thus deemed a Statutory body.

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Vision Statement

ECSA’s vision is to ensure that South Africa enjoys all the

benefits of a strong competent, growing, sustainable and

representative engineering profession, able to provide all the

expertise necessary for the socio-economic needs of the

country and to exert a positive influence in South Africa.

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Mission Statement

Our mission is to create the circumstances in which society is

confident that the engineering profession in South Africa is able to

carry out the functions necessary for socio-economic growth.

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ECSA’s Core Functions

• Set Standards for Engineering Qualifications

• Accreditation of Engineering programmes

• Recognise and Evaluate Qualifications

• Register Engineering Professionals

• Renew Registration & Continuing Professional Development

• Define and Enforce a Code of Conduct for Registered Professionals

• Define guidelines fees for Professional Engineers Services

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Professional Development Model

AccreditedProgramme

Training And

Experience

Practice

Meet Standardfor Engineering

Education

Meet StandardFor Professional

Competency

Candidate Registration

Graduation

Professional Registration

Observe Code of Conduct and Maintain CPD

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Relationships in the Profession

ECSA

Functions:•Register•Accredit•Regulate Professional Conduct

•Set Standards•Act in the interests of the public

•Advise government

Engineering Voluntary

Associations

AeSSASAIAE SAIChESAICESAIEESAIIESAIMechESAIMMCESAIPETCOET + …..

Recognition

Nominate Council and Committee Members

Presidents Forum

Provider Peer Assessors, Accreditors, Investigators

Engineering Practitioner Lifecycle

HigherEducation

School(MSE)

Engineering Practice

Retired- Active

Retired- Inactive

Registered Experienced Expert

ManagementCandidacy

Professional Formation Professional Practice

Basic Education

Stage 1:Complete EngineeringEducation

Stage 2:CompleteRegistrationRequirements

ExperiencedEligible forInternationalRegister*

Complete Basic Education with Math, Physical Science & English

Practitioners contributes after normal retirement

Manage enterprises that depend on engineering

Expert: showsLeadershipin field

ECSA Register of Engineering Professional: ~ 35 000

Some Registration Statistics (as at 28 February 2011)

• Professional Engineers: 14827

• Professional Engineering Technologists 3704

• Professional Engineering Technicians 3532

• Professional Certificated Engineers 1047

• Specified Categories 970

• Candidate Engineers: 5789

• Candidate Engineering Technologists 2071

• Candidate Engineering Technicians 2971

• Candidate Certificated Engineers 215

Total 35126

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ECSA Registration Statistics

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2000 2005 2010

     

Female          736 (3.1%)      1 149 (4.2%)      2  950 (8.4%)

Male    24 556    25 978    32 184

     

TOTAL 25 352 27 127 35 134

     

     

Pr Eng Female 305 420 (~ 1.2%)

Note: In 2010 Females represented 9% of Canadian Pr Eng

The need to retain Engineering Skills

• The Economy and service delivery is being constrained due to a shortage of engineering skills

• Vital that we retain qualified engineers within the profession

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Retaining and advancing females in the Engineering Profession

There is limited empirical research undertaken in South Africa

to identify barriers to women

remaining and advancing in the Engineering Profession.

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Reasons for women leaving the Engineering Profession

– Work place climate¹

– Culture not supportive of women¹

– Challenges of Work/Life balance

– Working Conditions

___________________________________

University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (WWM)

Study of 3700 women with Engineering Degree

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What needs to be done to build a more diverse and inclusive Engineering Profession?

• Support women in Engineering initiative: SA Womeng

• Conduct research to better understand the challenges women face in building careers in Engineering

• Awards for support of women in the Engineering Profession

• Advisory group for women in engineering

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How has ECSA done business in the past?

• Emphasis fell on discharging mandatory functions:

– Accreditation of Programmes

– Evaluation of qualifications

– Registration

– Investigating complaints, conducting tribunals

– Requiring Continuing Professional Development

– Setting guideline fees

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So what is ECSA’s new approach?

• ECSA’s Strategic and Business Plans have two thrusts:

1. Continue to discharge mandatory functions– To improve processes and efficiency where this is necessary

High priority for the “Registration process”

2. To emphasize strategic functions empowered by S14 of EPA– Engage in those initiatives which have national relevance and

which are in the best interest of the engineering profession and broader society.

Examples of initiatives of national relevance and in the interest of the engineering profession.

• Determine engineering skills requirements for the country and provide direction and solutions to the pipeline for engineering skills development;

• Determine barriers to registration of all categories of professionals and addressing these;

• Ensure the marketing of the profession to educate and attract learners to build the future engineering skills pipeline (Engenius, Career Advice, SAWomeng);

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Examples of initiatives of national relevance and in the interest of the engineering profession

(continued)

• Intervening to influence the numbers of engineering graduates to promote diversity and representivity ;

• Improved liaison and lobby with:• Government (DoHE&T, DoFA, DST, DPW, DPE, DM&E, DoH);

• university sector (staff & students);

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Examples of initiatives of national relevance and in the interest of the engineering profession (continued)

• Contributing to the nation planning debate

• Establish collaboration with industry & chambers of commerce to develop programmes aimed at

• Improved mentoring of graduates• Increasing volunteerism by black professionals• Addressing specific sector matters (non payment)

• Play a regional in promoting the profession (World Bank)

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Regional Influence

• Namibia: Engagement with Engineering Council of Namibia and Higher Education Institutions on accreditation of programmes

• Botswana: Workshop on accreditation of programmes

• Zimbabwe: – commitment to assist Engineering Council of Zimbabwe

develop its accreditation system and improve engineering education (MoU pending)

– Reconstruction of Zimbabwe Infrastructure Conference London

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Concluding Remarks

We reviewed

• Engineering developments of the 20th Century

• Effects of Globalization

• Key national challenges including Dinokeng

• South Africa’s competitiveness in the world

• Our national skills situation

• Reviewed ECSA’s role and its contribution to improved competitiveness

African Proverb

“ If you want to walk fast, walk alone.

If you want to walk far walk together.”

Dankie -  Enkosi - Ha khensa - Re a leboga  - Ro livhuwa  - Siyabonga - Siyathokoza - Thank you 

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