CUT’s focus on Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) has brought a synergy partnership to the table. merSETA one of South Africa’s 21 Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) promote skills development in Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services, and CUT have begun final discussion on a working relationship to benefit the field of engineering in the central region, but also South Africa.

Engineering positions are still the most difficult for companies to fill, as shown by the release by Manpower Group South Africa’s Talent Shortage Survey 2013. The survey revealed that some of the reasons behind employers finding it difficult to fill positions, with 58% of employers stating that they could not fill positions owing to a lack of hard skills or technical competencies and 45% attributing it to a lack of applicants, as a result of factors such as skills shortages. 

The merSETA delegation led by its CEO, Dr Raymond Patel, visited CUT in order to finalise a R10 million project initiative for the establishment of a merSETA Chair in Engineering Development. “The chair will be situated at CUT for the FET Sector and Technology Education as a University of Technology this placement is the perfect fit. CUT and merSETA share a vision of what the field of engineering in education can become with the correct support and development.” said Dr Patel. Thus the production of both men and women as professionals, artisans and graduates in Sciences, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) is a clear priority given new emerging innovations, manufacturing and new products in both developed and developing countries. There are various industry sectors covered by the five chambers within merSETA: metal and engineering, auto manufacturing, motor retail and component manufacturing, tyre manufacturing, as well as the plastics industries. 

The partnership will entail the establishment of a merSETA Chair in Engineering Development for the FET Sector and Technology Education at CUT for the period 2014 to 2016. The focus of which will be the FET Colleges in the Free Sate and Northern Cape Provinces, not only the advancement of engineering teaching and technical staff, but also laboratories, and curricula development. Some of the technical training of FET lecturing staff will be done in collaboration with HAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland. Another focus will be technical Secondary Schools in the Free Sate and Northern Cape Provinces, and finally the promotion of women in engineering with a particular focus on schools and current students. The partnership between CUT and merSETA have now reached a significant stage where negotiations to establish the Chair in Engineering Development was reached earlier in May of 2013.