Staff reporter 24 February 2022

Four (4) Vaal University of Technolgy (VUT) Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) Students located within the Mathematics, Non-Destructive Testing and Physics Department will be able to register for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) because they no longer owe fees.

The registration was facilitated by the NDT Advisory Board Committee which sourced a donation of just over R41 000 by SISA Inspection recently renamed De-Tect Unit Inspection (DUI), to clear the students’ debt.  The beneficiaries are:

·         Ramogale R

·         Matshivha A

·         Class P

·         Seemela T

Background

Chaired by Mr M Maroga from Eskom, the NDT Advisory Board Committee was instrumental in highlighting the predicament of students who had been offered in-service training in different companies but could not register for their WIL component because of outstanding fees.  The situation was quite critical considering the scarcity of WIL opportunities. The NDT Advisory Board Committee responded positively by engaging industry captains and leaders.  De-Tect Unit Inspections is the second company to offer students financial assistance.

Collaboration

Work Integrated Learning placements have an impact on graduation rates and may compromise DHET’s subsidy allocation to the university.  During the 2020 academic year, and in collaboration with the Cooperative Education Department, the Mathematics, Non-Destructive Testing and Physics department has been able to place all eligible NDT WIL eligible students with the NDT industry.

About SISA Inspection

Led by its General Manager, Mr Yusuf Patel, SISA Inspection is 100% South African owned and is a leader in Non-Destructive Testing and Inspection. It has been servicing the NDT industry for 42 years, using the latest technologies to further develop Inspection techniques and procedures and upgrade local skills that ensures a sustainable approach for Industries and most importantly the communities they work in. DUI has kept abreast of NDT technological advancements and Innovations to cater for ageing plant / Assets (In-Service Inspection) and to be in the forefront of Inspection Technology and Expertise that will be required for 4IR and the global shift to renewable and clean energy.

In addition to the above, DUI has also been at the forefront of developing its core technical / specialised teams and was one of the first companies to partner with VUT in initially offering WIL opportunities to its students with several success stories.

The department and VUT appreciate the financial support and look forward to future collaborations with DUI.