The rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, in KwaZulu-Natal, after the devastating floods, will be a good test for the consulting engineering sector’s capacity to supplement skills shortages, says consulting engineering and scientist firm SRK Consulting MD Vis Reddy.
The floods, which first hit KwaZulu-Natal in April before striking for a second time in May, caused infrastructure damage worth more than R25-billion.
These rebuilding projects will result in many engineering companies being hired to fix the infrastructure in the province.
Reddy notes that the projects will also provide many companies with an opportunity to gain the required skills and close the experience gap in the industry.
He highlights that South Africa’s consulting engineering fraternity faces a shortage of experienced professionals with more than 12 years’ experience.
Consequently, consulting engineers locally have not been able to fill the gap left by the experts who have left the sector.
“The South African economy is making it difficult for consulting engineers to fill the ‘middle level’ of professional experience. “Those engineers and scientists with ten to 15 years of experience are required to take on high levels of responsibility in complex and demanding projects . “We have not been able to fully close this gap fast enough, as the older and more experienced consultants retire and leave the sector.”
Read the full article in Engineering News
