EP Media, in association with Isuzu SA, tomorrow (June 17), at 17:00, will host its second free online career webinar for high school learners.
This webinar, which can be attended live via Facebook and YouTube, will focus on mechatronics as a career and the Isuzu chair of mechatronics at NMU. This is part of a series of six live career webinars, aimed at equipping high school learners with information on career guidance and some of the different career fields.
The recording of the first career webinar, which focused on career guidance, and all the higher education options available to learners, are available on the Express facebook page.
The themes of the following webinars will be:
- Artificial Intelligence (17:00 on July 22)
- Education (17:00 on August 19)
- Journalism (17:00 on September 23)
- Logistics (17:00 on October 21)
Experts from around the country have been selected as panellists for these webinars.
Schools are also encouraged to motivate their learners to participate in the webinars and during the live webinars the name of one of the attendees will be drawn in a lucky draw.
This learner’s school will receive advertising space in the Port Elizabeth Express,UD Express or Komani-Karoo Express to the value of R6 000.
On the panel for this week’s webinar is Professor Igor Gorlach, who is the Isuzu chair of mechatronics, responsible for a strategic university-industry partnership. Gorlach was born in 1959 in Ukraine. After graduating as a mechanical engineer in 1981, he worked as factory engineer and then as a lecturer. In 1992, Gorlach immigrated to South Africa. While lecturing at Wits Technikon, he completed a master’s degree at Wits University and then a doctoral degree at the North-West University.
In 2004, he moved to NMU, where, as the head of department, was responsible for establishing the bachelor’s degree in mechatronics.
Also on the panel is Etienne Venter from Isuzu. Etienne studied at the University of Stellenbosch, completing his post graduate studies in industrial engineering with mechatronics as main subject.
After 24 years in the industry, he is responsible for manufacturing engineering at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s manufacturing operations in Gqeberha, responsible for planning, design and implementation of projects to support change in the manufacturing environment, including structural and mechanical engineering, controls and automation.
To tell us more from a current student’s perspective, we have Akhanya Qokweni, 23, on the panel. He is studying a bachelor of engineering honours degree in mechatronics engineering at NMU, working on his final-year project under the chair of mechatronics, with the support of Isuzu. He was born and raised in Dutywa.
More information about the admission requirements and application process to study BEng: Mechatronics at NMU will also be given.
During this webinar, we will also be showing videos sent in by former NMU mechatronics students. They will give personal views of why they studied mechatronics and what it is like to work in the field on mechatronics.
- More info is available on the Express Facebook pages or by contacting Nicolette Thomas at 083 578 1655 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
