Corporate Social Responsibility

South African Youth into Engineering Programme (SAYEP)

The company proudly supports the South African Youth into Engineering Programme (SAYEP) as part of our socio-economic contribution to the industry. Dr Dudu Mkhize who holds a PhD in Maths Education, identified an enormous need for youth in deep rural areas who could not enter engineering tertiary studies due to poor mathematics and science results. Dudu made it her mission to overcome this and initiated the SAYEP Programme to source funding and offer support to learners showing potential in mathematics and science. With this in mind, the 100×100 project, a predecessor to SAYEP was launched in the SAICE centenary year to identify 100 rural learners with exceptional maths skills to read for civil engineering degrees. Scouting for talent was carried out by Dudu Mkhize with the support of Jones and Wagener. Much to Dudu’s delight, the need for support continued to grow and in 2015, a Maths Clinic for Rural Schools as an initiative of SAYEP was founded. Dudu is fondly known for her tireless contribution in the engineering space. Her efforts have now stretched beyond the engineering space to other mathematical and professional qualifications. These qualifications include medicine, accounting, geology and even law! Upon qualification, graduates are encouraged to volunteer and give back so that the Clinic is sustained for future generations. SAYEP has proudly partnered with the University of Pretoria who provide second year engineering students as tutors. The SAYEP programme offers a holistic support strategy, which includes:

• Academic support where required
• Tertiary coping skills training
• Mentoring (here industry is asked to get involved and adopt a student)
• Monitoring and reporting
• Financial support

Funding to support these students presents an annual challenge and SAICE-PDP is proud to support this initiative both financially, as well as by lobbying industry and the public sector for further support. SAICE-PDP has introduced many companies to SAYEP, and they too now contribute towards funding, internship opportunities and other types of support. As SAYEP is a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO), companies looking for opportunities to increase their B-BBEE rating and wishing to support transformation of the next generation of engineering professionals, should contact SAYEP to become supporters. Make contact: Should you wish to make contact with SAYEP to offer support or source a student or graduate, send a message:  Peter please put an option here for people to put in the name, email, telephone and message and for the info to be sent to Dudu and Allyson newera@jaws.co.za Quotes (not sure where you can add these but very precious and just capture the good work the clinic does): “No one believed a learner from a rural area like Msinga would do BSc and pass. All thanks to Dr Mkhize…my life wouldn’t be like that if maths clinic never came to my life.” – MEDIATOR DUMAKUDE “From Ubongumenzi we attended maths clinic with Doctor Mkhize last year, she did not only encourage us academically but emotionally also she showed us that there was hope. I’m texting you I’m doing my first year law degree at UFS.” – STHE MANYATHI  “Maths clinic took me from zero to hero. I was embarrassed of my term 1 and 2 maths scripts before maths clinic, but I am proud of term 3 maths. I can even post it on the home wall. If only maths clinic had come earlier, I would have had an “A” in maths.” – HALALISANI MTSHALI “Well, it took me five years but I’m happy and proud to let you know that I’m graduating. I remember when we were at the guest house sitting around the table, and you asked us individually about how do we feel about tomorrow, and I was the only person who said “I will make it” It sounded like a joke back then! Thanks again and again and again” – MPHO SELEPE No caption for this picture but needs to have prize of place as the amount of technology speaks volumes! 😊 Two students from University of Pretoria volunteering their time to maths learners.