It is said that the water and sanitation sector is not a popular preference among the youth in tertiary institutions, however, the Department of Higher Education has made a number of interesting points about the sector, adding that there is also an opportunity in the pipeline.
Since the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) funds learning programmes, and provides grants in the water and energy sector, it has announced its grant funding applications that are open for submission.
EWSETA invited relevant stakeholders to apply for the discretionary grant funding to implement strategic skills development projects that aim to address energy and water sector priority skills needs.
This is an indication of skills needed in the sector. However, a Member of the National Assembly, Siphosethu Ngcobo made claims of graduates not being interested in pursuing careers in the water and sanitation sector.
In a statement, the Department of Higher Education said:
The Department of Higher Education and Training is not aware of graduates within the higher education sector who are not inspired to build careers in the water and sanitation sector.
The department added that its role is to ensure that there is an enabling environment for institutions to provide the necessary training and skills required for the sector and ensure that students are supported with the necessary means, where appropriate, to pursue their careers.
When it comes to the EWSETA funding applications, submissions ought to indicate alignment to any of the national priorities, such as integrated Resource Plan and Just Energy Transition, as well as Water and Sanitation among other things.
Another avenue that individuals may explore is that of qualifications that are offered in Higher Education institutions such as disciplines in Water Resources Engineering, which may be obtained through the vocational pathway in terms of the Higher Certificate and Diploma qualifications, as well as the Bachelor of Science in Hydrology and Water Resources Management for an academic and research pathway.
