Aug 11, 2022 Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Birgit Mac Mahon, the Handwerkskamer Erfurt’s (HWK Erfurt), Zukiswa Sithole,
Young Women rocking the Automotive sector
August is national Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) month. It is also national women’s month and an opportunity for prospective young female students and those that are not in employment, education or training to consider enrolling at TVET Colleges.
“We encourage all young females to be bold enough to participate and enrol in programmes that have traditionally been male dominated. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges where we find ourselves in a global digital economy that changes rapidly. Women are increasingly playing a role in every sector of the economy including the automotive sector and are making their mark,” says Birgit Mac Mahon, the Handwerkskamer Erfurt’s (HWK Erfurt), Resident Project Manager.
In 2020 a partnership was established between the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), the German Chamber of Crafts Erfurt, also known as Handwerkskamer Erfurt (HWK Erfurt), and the TVET colleges in the Eastern Cape. The venture has seen many successful apprentices enter the automotive industry. “This is an exciting industry for young people,” says Mac Mahon. “There are so many career opportunities for young women, men and including those with disabilities not only in South Africa but around the world. The reality is that qualified tradespeople are well respected all over the world and in many European countries even earn more than doctors or lawyers.”
To appreciate the success of women in the sector one only has to look at Zukiswa Sithole, an apprentice technician at Tavcor Volkswagen in Port Elizabeth, is a stunning example of what women can achieve. She was named Woman of the Year in 2018 by the Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA).
MISA each year pays homage to the remarkable women in the motor retail sector with their Woman of the Year Award, the most prestigious of its kind in the motor retail sector. Sithole was the 2018 Regional Finalist for the Eastern Cape Region and took the coveted title home to Port Elizabeth. She was determined to become successful and not be bound or defined by her challenging circumstances. And while cars were an unfamiliar sight in her community, Zuki somehow knew that she wanted to work on them.
Shortly after writing her matric exams, she boarded a bus to the city of Port Elizabeth, never having left the confines of Bizana before. “People warned me to keep on the pavement when I got off the bus, but I had no idea what a pavement was, as we didn’t have any in Bizana,” she laughs. Sithole eventually managed to find her way to the Port Elizabeth College, where she studied Automotive Engineering. Money was tight, but she worked hard to support herself as well as pay for her studies.
Today, Sithole has become a role model for others and is a popular motivational speaker. She has never forgotten her roots and is eager to help others. She is passionate about her job and makes no secret of the fact that her ambition is to work herself up to management status.
Mac Mahon says it is so encouraging to see more and more young women enrolling at the colleges. Nosibusiso Mntengwana – third year Apprentice Eastcape Midlands College is yet another example.
Nosibusiso is passionate about her work and would love to encourage other young women to consider a career in motor mechanics. “I learn new things each and every day. After completing my three-year course at Eastcape Midlands with a strong focus on Engineering and Design I am now doing my ‘In Service’ training at VNM Vehicle Solutions. My advice to other young women is this is the right career if you have a positive attitude and can be patient. The job can be stressful but women can do it. My ultimate dream is to one day own my own workshop and form an institution where I can mentor and encourage young women in the sector. My motto – Let’s enter into a man’s world and Let’s Rock It.”
Thulisiwe Jucwa, another third year motor mechanic apprentice at Eastcape Midlands and also doing in-service training at VNM Vehicle Solutions. Jucwa initially wanted to be an accountant and knew nothing about the mechanical field, but her maths teacher at high school saw Thulisiwe’s potential and insisted she go to a Technical High School. She did not initially follow his advice but once out of school, she discovered she really was interested in Engineering.
She took a gap year to think really hard about her future. For young people thinking about this career path you need to have maths and science. But if you don’t you can then do NCB Vocational after high school, provided you have a matric to bridge the gap. Jucwa has not looked back and loved her College experience which gave her so much exposure to the field.
‘The reality is that not every young person has the privilege, or desire, to go to university and even then they are not guaranteed of a job. For the 177 572 young people who achieved a diploma pass that are now eligible for study at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, the automotive sector is a great place to start and we look forward to welcoming more women into the sector,” concludes Mac Mahon.
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