Our inaugural cohort in Johannesburg went on a two-part excursion to three different sites as part of their College & Career Readiness (CCR) Activities for Year 2. PROTEC and the GE Johannesburg City Team worked together to ensure that the learners get an experience that will give them a glimpse into the vast field of engineering. They had an opportunity to engage with engineers in their workplace and enquire about their journeys, work experience and current work.
On the first day, the 5th of July 2023, the learners were taken to two different sites where they were taken through the processes of getting an aircraft ready for flight, the teams that work on that and the different preparations behind every flight. They started at SAA Technical where they were taken to the jet engine shop, the maintenance hangars and then to the training school. One of the instructors from the training school took them through the site, explaining what was being done and introducing them to the different engineers and technicians. Later on the day, the learners went to Airlink and there they had an opportunity to see an aircraft simulator, engage with cabin crew and also tour the maintenance section.
The second day was focused on power generation and the cohort toured the Kusile Power Station, seeing the different stages of power generation. After time with the engineers, manager volunteers from the GE talent acquisition team briefed them about the site, safety procedures and processes involved in producing electricity. They received safety boots, safety glasses, reflector vests and hard hats with chin guards before going to the different stations, led by the engineers. After a debriefing session, in between a delicious meal, the learners were released to go home.
“I have always loved engineering. Growing up, I knew I wanted to be a mechanical engineer and I thought my options would be limited to working with cars, gearboxes and engines. Today, touring Kusile and seeing all the different engineers, showed me that you can be qualified in one field, but you work with other engineers from other fields and I find that exciting.” – Bhekumuzi K., Cohort 1 Engineering Academy Participant
“I have always had my mind set on medicine, being a doctor. However, ever since joining the Academy, I am now considering a field of engineering that would still allow me to work in the medical industry. Learning about the different fields of engineering coming together today has made engineering a very interesting prospective career.” – Zia A., Cohort 1 Engineering Academy Participant
