children are the future new SAICE president
Mentoring teachers
Murray & Roberts is providing support for a teacher mentorship programme run by the Department of Civil and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Pretoria.

The three-year pilot project is addressing the crisis in teaching and learning maths and science by establishing a system of mentors for teachers in their school environment.

This will build capacity and improve competence, thereby enhancing the performance of learners in a cost effective manner.

Mike Deeks has been appointed the 102nd president of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).

Mike, a Murray & Roberts Engineering Solutions executive, is the third Murray & Roberts candidate in this position. He was preceded by Brian Bruce in 1994 and Charles Skeen in 1982.

Mike has served as SAICE vice president (professional development) since 2001 and as a member of a number of the Institution’s committees.

 

HIV/Aids awareness

Two skilled maths and science teachers act as mentors for teachers in six schools in the Tshwane area, namely J Kekana, Ribane Laka, Stanza Bopape, Vukani Mawethu, Bokgoni Technical and Lompec.

Five other schools have joined the programme as mentor schools supplying materials, apparatus and laboratories.

As part of the programme, teacher and learner engineering outreach workshops have been held to encourage learners to pursue a career in engineering. Industry role models, including Cromwell Qina from Murray & Roberts, motivated the learners and stimulated an interest in engineering.

Vocational Guidance
Murray & Roberts has provided funding for the production and distribution of TRAC vocational guidance materials to over 5 000 South African high schools. TRAC South Africa is a national outreach programme which encourages school leavers to enter careers in science, engineering and technology.
 

Industrial theatre and the personal account of an HIV positive representative helped to explain HIV transmission and prevention at a recent HIV/Aids awareness open day at Alucast 2 plant in Port Elizabeth.
Murray & Roberts recognises the threat that HIV/Aids poses to its business and people and has chosen to be proactive in creating an HIV/Aids policy and educating staff about HIV/Aids and related issues.

One of TRAC’s initiatives to promote careers in these fields is a set of vocational guidance booklets which are updated annually and available in print and electronic formats.

The booklets describe each discipline, the different career fields, available bursaries, requirements for further study and information on where to study. Murray & Roberts provides 5 227 sets of the booklets to South African high schools at the beginning of each year.

For more information, visit the TRAC SA web site at www.trac.sun.ac.za

All staff members are encouraged to learn more about the risks involved with HIV/Aids and to behave responsibly. Murray & Roberts Foundries offers free voluntary HIV testing for all employees and wishes to encourage staff to be tested and “Know Your Status”!