EMPOWERMENT POLICY
CIVtech Consultants (Pty) Ltd is a small Consulting Engineering Practice with a staff compliment of two Directors of the Company, four permanent staff members and two students-in-training. The Directors of the Company have to be flexible and act as Directors, Managers and Workers, all in one. Because we operate in a very competitive environment our business strategy is focused on operating in the niche market of Township Development and Municipal Engineering. Our business is extremely sensitive to factors that could affect our service delivery, both in quality and in promptness.
CIVtech accepts its responsibility to implement an affirmative action policy to rectify the historic inequalities in the South African society. We also see it as our responsibility to put something back into the Civil Engineering Industry that can create value and will help to develop the industry in the medium and long term.
The Engineering Industry in South Africa has a severe shortage of technically qualified people of colour. It is therefore difficult to find suitable candidates with relevant qualifications and experience within the market we operate, to be introduced at ownership level. Capacity building within a small firm such as CIVtech and the empowerment of people should not start at roof level, but at entry level.
CIVtech therefore accepted an Input-based Empowerment Policy which begins at the foundation of training. The aim is to empower people through sustainable personal development so that they become an asset to CIVtech and the Engineering Industry as a whole in the medium and long term. The following process has been implemented and has already been running for more than 5 years:
- identify HDI. candidates at Tertiary Education Institutions in the Western Cape with the potential to develop and who show interest in civil/municipal engineering;
- select and appoint students-in-training to do their practical year at CIVtech;
- provide bursaries to students to complete their studies;
- employ bursary students after completion of their studies in permanent positions to receive further training to prepare them for registration;
- develop employees further by teaching them the business skills required to survive in a competitive environment;
- involve them in the operation of CIVtech by allowing them to take up ownership of the firm and carry on with the business as senior Directors retire.
We know our training and development program will provide us with the necessary skilled staff to support sustainable growth of the practice and will empower them to accept responsibilities as co-owners of the practice in the medium and long term.
We have a proud record of service delivery to our clients and we are confident that our training program will add value to our business as well as that of our clients.