Engineers in Revolution is a time to bring back engineering excellence, ethical business practice and sustainable solutions, aligning the private sector with government’s aspirations for a better South Africa where engineers must reclaim their role in the government’s proposed R3 trillion infrastructure development strategy.
We will act in solidarity to charter the direction of our profession and engineer socioeconomic advancement and economic competitiveness. From an office at SAICE, Civilution was a concept all could identify with. Our despondency with lack of technical capacity at government level and training opportunities for young engineers, to raising the awareness of the role and prominence of engineers, issues regarding the quality of education and corruption, it resonated not only in the hearts of civil engineers but with civil society at large.
Faced with several challenges, the engineering profession – engineers, voluntary associations, educators and the builders of society – are now abandoning pessimism and distrust with government now attentive to our unified, solution-driven voice. The Congress will be a place where your voice can be heard and a new equilibrium in the industry can be reached for better collaboration and to change attitudes and working relationships to welcome back engineers as vital role players in service delivery and to effect efficient government operations.
We expect government to continue making strides in positioning itself as the employer of choice for engineers and to create a professional and corporate environment within their engineering and service delivery ranks, but we as engineers also need to again start considering career paths in the government sector as a definite option.
The goals of Civilution Congress 2014 are to:
Bring the engineering sector together to engage in the development challenges we face in an integrated and strategic fashion
Put forward a position paper to our government and the public that will show what engineers are committing to do differently in order to achieve an improved South Africa
Invite African and other international stakeholders to engage in business, institutional and development opportunities
Gain insight into the work opportunities arising from the NDP and SIPs
Host an open dialogue to create trust and a bridge between government’s and engineers’ expectations from politicians technically equipped including
Trevor Manuel, Nazir Alli and Ketso Gordhan
Mobilise foreign engineers to participate in the industry boom
Reinstate long-term planning for transformation
Equip you to become the best vehicle for change in your sphere of influence· Support direct and far-reaching interventions that can and must be implemented to dramatically improve and change the inherent approach to engineering. Join the movement, as an Engineering profession where we will envision, drive transformation and engineer progress, highlighting the important role engineers can play in communities and government, thus regaining pride in our profession.