Teachers, learners and exhibitors eagerly await and prepare for the annual Sasol Techno X - this year has the theme, ‘Today’s minds, tomorrow’s future’. The Sasol Techno X will take place from 11 to 15 August 2014 at the Sasol ChemCity Eco Industrial Park in Sasolburg. The expo, now in its 14th year of existence, seeks to expose the many facets of technology and encourage learners to explore the wide range of exciting disciplines and career choices that mathematics, science and technology offer. Visitors can look forward to interactive and stimulating exhibitions, experiments, workshops and site tours.

Sasol’s flagship career expo, Techno X is one of the largest career guidance exhibitions of its kind in the country. It attracts over 24 000 visitors from seven provinces every year – with grade 7 to 12 learners coming from more than 300 schools. “Sasol believes in building great South Africans through our many sponsorship programmes. Through Sasol Techno X we hope to open the eyes and minds of learners to a world of possibilities in the fields of mathematics, science and technology. We know that the Sasol Techno X visitors will play an important role in the development and growth of our country, as they have the potential to become the industrial leaders of tomorrow,” said Louis Fourie, Senior Vice President: Sasol Sasolburg.

In an effort to develop and expand the talent of these future leaders, Sasol partners with public and private organisations for the expo. This year, there will be in excess of 30 businesses and organisations providing information on career options with 16 tertiary education and training institutes on hand to guide learners towards obtaining academic qualifications to pursue these dreams.

The South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement, a business unit of the National Research Foundation, has been exhibiting at the Sasol Techno X for over 10 years. “We have been coming to the expo year after year as it contributes to SAASTA’s goals which include steering young minds towards careers in science, engineering, technology and innovation. It is always gratifying to see excited students and happy teachers, which indicates they are getting something beneficial from the expo,” said Shadrack Mkansi, Manager of SAASTA Science Awareness Platform.

For ArcelorMittal, who have been part of the expo for seven years, it is an ideal platform to source candidates for their training programmes and search for future talent in the industry.
Teachers are also embracing the expo, as it provides a platform for their students to experience the curriculum through real-world experiences. “Techno X is an incredible opportunity to bring the curriculum to life for our learners. Our school, like many others in the country, does not have laboratory facilities so the expo allows children to not only see the practical side of their studies, but to conduct compulsory experiments in curriculum themselves,” shared Manthabi Thibinyane, mathematics and science educator at Moroka High School in Thaba Nchunu.

“This will be the sixth year Moroka High School attends Techno X and we will continue to bring our Grade 9-12 learners, as the expo improves learners’ understanding of what is taught in the classroom, which makes teaching easier and more enjoyable,” added Thibinyane.

“The Sasol Techno X forms an important part of Sasol’s commitment to ddemonstrate industry leadership in delivering relevant in-country enterprise and economic development solutions through which we can leverage initiatives for maximum benefit to Sasol and our communities,” concluded Fourie.