Recently, I had a conversation with Johan Maartens, Executive Director of the Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Computer Engineering (SAIMC), about this critically important subject: why South Africa needs a National Graduate Rotation Programme.
Are tertiary institutions turning out a market-ready workforce? It is a sensitive point of discussion in industry. Johan Maartens believes that South Africa’s industrial economy is at a crossroads.
“Automation, digitalisation, robotics, and AI are accelerating globally, yet our country’s engineering talent pipeline is struggling to keep pace. The gap between what graduates learn at university and what they encounter in modern industrial plants has widened to the point where it now threatens productivity, safety, and competitiveness,” he says.
He adds that this is not a criticism of universities, which are internationally well-recognised for their high standards, but rather a reflection of how fast industrial technology has evolved.
Maartens adds, “Today’s plants run on advanced PLCs, DCS platforms, industrial networks, cybersecurity layers, robotics, and data-driven automation systems. Yet graduates entering the workforce often have never touched the equipment that drives South Africa’s mines, factories, utilities, and processing plants. The result is that companies spend 12–24 months retraining graduates before they can contribute meaningfully.”
Graduates are not ready for modern equipment
At a recent SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council meeting, leading automation vendors raised a shared concern: graduates entering industry have no exposure to the modern equipment they will be expected to operate, maintain, or design around.
Maartens states that this is not an isolated complaint, emphasising, “It is a systemic challenge affecting every sector - mining, petrochemical, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), water, energy, and manufacturing.”
The meeting discussed ideas for addressing these concerns and came up with a bold proposal: a national facility, coordinated by the SAIMC, where graduates can rotate through vendor training centres and industrial plants to gain real, hands-on experience.
“This idea is not only feasible. It is essential,” adds Maartens.
The SAIMC Graduate Rotation for Industry Programme (GRIP)
The programme proposes giving engineering graduates structured exposure to:
Vendor Technologies: Graduates rotate through leading automation vendors to gain hands-on experience with PLCs, DCS, SCADA, HMI, instrumentation and process analytics, robotics and motion control, industrial networks, cybersecurity (ISA/IEC 62443), digitalisation, and Industry 4.0 platforms.
Industrial Plants: Graduates then rotate through participating industrial partners to gain real operational experience in commissioning, maintenance, troubleshooting, control system upgrades, instrumentation calibration, safety systems, and production optimisation.
Professional Practice: In the final year, graduates complete an ECSA-aligned portfolio under mentorship, preparing them for registration as professional practitioners.
Maartens believes this is a three-year, ecosystem-wide solution - not a short course or a workshop, but a structured national pipeline.
Strengthening South Africa’s industrial competitiveness
Countries that win in automation and digitalisation win in global competitiveness. South Africa cannot compete with a workforce that is two generations behind the technology curve.
Maartens adds that GRIP will produce engineers who are automation-ready, digitally fluent, plant-ready, and globally competitive.
“This is how we can protect and grow South Africa’s industrial base. To implement GRIP (SAIMC Graduate Rotation for Industry Programme), we need industry buy-in and support, which is something we are putting much energy into,” says Maartens.
SAIMC — a driving force towards a competitive South African industry
SAIMC NPC is a voluntary association of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) under Section 36(1) of the Engineering Profession Act (Act 46 of 2000).
The SAIMC drives the recognition of automation, instrumentation, mechatronics, and computer engineering. It is a body of knowledge supporting ECSA, education, and individuals to make effective and efficient use of automation-related technologies and algorithms, driving recognition of these disciplines as enablers for the effective and efficient application of new technologies.
To qualify as a voluntary association with the Engineering Council of South Africa, several criteria must be met, including:
- The association’s core mission must include promoting the engineering profession.
- The association must formally declare its commitment to promoting registration with the Council among its members and must endeavour to secure a commitment from its members to register with the Council.
The SAIMC complies with all these conditions.
Its membership comprises individuals, companies, original equipment manufacturers, educational institutions, and engineering practitioners across all levels, ranging from artisans to engineers who specialise in the field of automation.
“Our purpose is to make our members successful,” says Maartens.
“Our technologies include disciplines such as computer engineering and mechatronics, as well as various forms of automation like factory and process automation. Our expertise spans all levels of the ISA-95 model, from sensor installation and calibration to ERP integration.
“When ECSA decided in 2023 to define computer engineering as a new discipline, we approached the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA Africa) to assist in defining the code of practice for computer engineers. MESA had already carried out work in the manufacturing engineering space.
“As a result of our approach, the previous MESA Africa Executive Committee was appointed to manage the Computer Engineering Council of the SAIMC in collaboration with Prof Henri Marais of North-West University, from both functional and educational perspectives.
“The Council is optimally positioned to advocate for and support computer engineers as outlined in the code. In addition, the SAIMC Computer Advisory Council serves as a Special Interest Group of MESA International, with one of its key responsibilities being to evaluate and adapt international standards and best practices for local application.
“Within the SAIMC, the Computer Engineering Council will assist members in registering with ECSA as engineers, technologists, and technicians, ensuring that they can continue their work in compliance with legal requirements."
He concludes: “The Council is also engaging with tertiary institutions to influence curricula, ensuring the delivery of market-ready computer engineering practitioners.”
To learn more about the SAIMC and its initiatives, visit www.saimc.co.za.
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