SNC-Lavalin’s South African office recently celebrated the graduation of a second group of learners from its skills investment initiative, which has grown in depth and diversity since being launched three years ago. “The office has built a solid foundation and developed a successful model for bringing young skills into the workplace and specifically, the engineering industry,” says Cathy Williams, HR Manager at SNC-Lavalin. Through this process, the office has changed and positively influenced the lives of 62 young South Africans so far, giving them the opportunity to embark on a journey of growth and development that will empower them to be active role-players in the economic future of our country.

“I’m proud of our achievements in the skills development arena to date and excited about what we can still achieve in the coming years,” adds Williams. SNC-Lavalin took on its first bursary candidate in 2010, a third-year engineering student who joined the company as a Junior Mechanical Engineer after graduation. During that year, the company also introduced its first Learnership in Business Administration programme. Although the candidates were hired on a 12-month fixed-term contract with no obligation of employment, over the subsequent year each of the learners created a role for themselves in the company and was permanently appointed by the end of the programme.

 In 2011, SNC-Lavalin, in consultation with the Project Management Institute (PMI), introduced a Project Management Learnership at NQF 4 level. With the assistance of the US Embassy in South Africa, which had recently put a group of promising young South Africans through a scholarship at a Community College in America, the Learnership was populated with 14 candidates.A Learnership consultant was appointed to introduce these learners to the world of work, identify internal mentors and “buddies”, run training programmes for the mentors and buddies and work with the external partners. All 14 learners were found competent by the end of the programme and were permanently appointed by SNC-Lavalin. 2011 also saw the start of the company’s Disabled Learnership programme, in which six intellectually challenged learners were sponsored to undertake a Domestic Learnership programme, facilitated by I Can, in partnership with PMI. 

“During 2012, the focus of our office was on building on the foundation it had established over the past two years,” says Williams. “Our Project Management Learnership programme continued, introducing 12 new learners, and a Business Administration Learnership programme was rolled out for five existing employees.  Meanwhile, our Disabled Learnership programme was increased to nine learners, five of which participated in the Business Practice Learnership programme and four in the Domestic Learnership programme. The number of our Bursary Students increased to six and 14 vacation students were given the opportunity to gain work experience.”

Plans for 2013 include a pilot Graduate Engineers programme, the enrolment of seven full time bursary students and continued development for the permanent employees who entered the company through the Learnership programme. Students in the Business Administration Learnership NQF Level 3 will complete their studies during this year and the company’s annual Graduate Engineers Week will help to recruit new graduate engineers for the company, with a particular focus on gaining an understanding of the EPCM environment. Twelve disabled learners will also be enrolled into the Disabled Learnership programme.

SNC-Lavalin is one of the leading engineering and construction groups in the world and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure, and in the provision of operations and maintenance services. SNC-Lavalin has offices across Canada and in over 40 other countries around the world, and is currently working in some 100 countries.