“It is the intention to establish a society which will focus on academic, professional and personal development of women in engineering and be of service to the community,” said Dr Ann Lourens, manager of the wela project.
Launched in 2011 and housed under the merSETA Chair in Engineering Development in the Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology, the programme commenced with four workshops conducted by NMMU’s Student Counselling Department. These workshops focussed on academic and personal development in order to achieve one of the main aims of the project. “We aim to provide woman with a reliable social network to support them as they face the challenges of working in the field of engineering,” says Carmen Adams, Project Manager for Career Development at merSETA.
The aim of wela is to establish engineering as a desirable career aspiration field for girls and women as well as to develop retention and growth strategies for women already studying in the field of engineering.
“Our research reveals that the current generations of first years want to be recognised as successful women in a male dominated environment world, they want to make a difference in their community and they feel that Engineering studies is a challenge they want to conquer,” continued Ms Lourens.
An extension of wela’s aim is to mentor, assist and advance women already employed in the field of Engineering. According to the plan experienced female engineers will act as mentors for the youth in a further effort to encourage them to have the life skills to manage the world of work and to remain focussed on achieving their goals and career aspirations, whatever these may be.
A task team, amongst the wela girls, has been created to address a community engagement project whilst a second task team has been formulated to create a technical project encouraging collaboration between all five Engineering disciplines within the School of Engineering.
“merSETA, like NMMU, are by the nature of their formal partnership demonstrating their commitment in the development of human resources for the economic development of the Eastern Cape region and in contribution to the national imperatives in this regard. The innovative platform wela will provide, supports this effort” concluded Carmen.
Wela has received very positive feedback from the students involved. Sephiwe Dlamini said: “Wela opened my eyes by showing us that we as women need to become leaders of today and tomorrow. Whilst caring for other people, we can also change the world by believing in ourselves and we also have the ability to make good choices. Success will be the reward.”
Thandile Ndevu, had the following to say: “The wela organisation is so significant because it allows me to grow into the woman I’ve always wanted to be but I had always settled, settled into being a machine, a one faced vision of what I thought people wanted to see and hence I didn’t play to my genius. But most importantly, wela has allowed me to discover my voice.”