CAR KEY REPAIR

SAIEE Western Cape Centre Initiative: Engineering the Future - School Group
Project to promote Electrical Engineering, Science and Technology

Engineering skills shortage has been identified as one of the aspects that
might hinder economic growth in South Africa. The paper compiled by Allyson
Lawless "Engineering Institutes look at the skills shortage that threatens
to affect the economic growth of South Africa", suggests increasing the
number of high calibre graduates from South Africa's tertiary institutions.
This can be done by increasing the number of engineering trained graduates
through our tertiary institutes.

Specific concern to the SAIEE is the shortage of electrical engineers. The
SAIEE needs to stimulate the appeal for electrical engineering amongst young
ones to choose electrical engineering as a career. The SAIEE needs to be the
authority in providing all information relating to studying electrical
engineering in South Africa. This information needs to be packaged in a
manner to appeal to the young ones.

The SAIEE Western Cape approached the MTN Sciencentre for an enrichment or
informative learner experience specifically geared to promoting careers in
electrical engineering. This will be done via a program of school group
visits to the MTN Sciencentre. Amongst the schools that this program target
are the Dinaledi schools, which were formed in 2001 to improve participation
and performance in maths and science, particularly among previously
disadvantaged learners.

To address the skills shortage will require intervention measures at high
school level. For this reason the SAIEE Western Cape Centre has embarked on
a project that aims to:-

* Encourage learners to take electrical engineering as a career

* improve the appreciation of engineering, science and technology
amongst educators

* To market the SAIEE as the authority in providing any details
regarding studying electrical engineering in SA

With the School Group Project, the SAIEE made it possible for 11 Schools to
be bussed into the MTN Sciencentre at Canal Walk, Cape Town. Each school
group consisted of 55 learners and 5 educators. The MTN Sciencentre contains
a floor of science and technological exhibitions. These exhibitions explore
science and technology like, wave propagation, gravity, forces, hydraulics,
electricity, magnetism, etc. They even have the largest working cellphone in
the world, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Each school was given an opportunity to spend an hour on the MTN Sciencentre
floor and interact with the Science and Technology exhibitions. The school
group was then separated into two groups. The one group participated in a
workshop to build an electric motor, while the other group is engaged in
science and technology activities at the centre; this would last for an hour
then the two groups would swop activities. After this both groups would
congregate at the MTN Sciencentre auditorium and they will be shown a video
on electrical engineering followed by a talk from one of the SAIEE members
(an electrical engineer) on what electrical engineering is about.

In the motor building workshop the school learners, including the teacher,
are introduced to concepts in magnetism, electromagnetism, working in teams,
communication and following instruction. The kids were working in small
groups of two or three and they build a small dc electric motor from kits
that were provided by the MTN Sciencentre. We had more that 50% success in
getting the small dc motor to run. It was great joy to see the smiles in the
learners' faces when their motors started running. For those whose motor
could not run would appreciate that in engineering we still need to work in
teams, communicate and follow instructions because their motor would fail
because they did not follow instructions or communicate.

The video and talk by an electrical engineer covered the following:-

* What is Electrical Engineering

* What is the work of an electrical engineer

* Where do you study Electrical Engineering

* What do you study

* What are the criteria

* Where can I go if I need assistance - SAIEE

The learners would be given an opportunity to ask questions. Most of their
questions were around the tertiary institution's entry levels; whether
electrical engineers are paid well; and study bursaries. After all is done,
the learners were treated to some lunch and sent (bussed) home.

605 learners from 11 schools participated in this project in the months of
April, May and June (before the World Cup). The list of such schools is
available below:-

A project like this would not be possible without the excellent partnership
between SAIEE, MTN Sciencentre and UCT SAIEE/IEEE Student Chapter.

1.MTN Sciencentre

*Busi, Ryan and Carmen for the putting the program together.
*John (a retired electrical engineer and part of MTN Sciencentre
staff), Fikiswa and Michael fo

365 Day 119. My old but trusty Toyota has been having some electrical problems. I have pulled the alternator off and had that and the battery checked to no avail. Time for the garage to have a look at it.