The Department of Transport and Public Works Masakh’iSizwe Bursary Programme team welcomed 126 bursary recipients to an information and contract signing session at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) Bellville campus on 18 February 2023. The Department awarded Masakh’iSizwe bursaries to 141 students this year.
Bursars from the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology participated in a question-and-answer session before signing bursary contracts with the Department which set out the roles and responsibilities for the bursar, the parent/guardian, and the Department.
Masakh’iSizwe was established to address the shortage of critical skills through providing bursaries to promising young people for full-time studies towards a degree or diploma in the transport, engineering and built environment disciplines which include:
- Architecture
- Construction Management
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Quantity Surveying
In addition to financial support for tuition fees, the programme also offers students mentoring to assist them to adjust socially to a university environment, obtain academic support when they need it, improve their employability skills, participate in outreach programmes, manage their health and wellness, and participate in-service training.
Luke Mouton is in his final year of his Advanced Diploma in Mechanical Engineering qualification at CPUT. He hopes to use his qualification to give back to the community by working for the government.
“I’m very interested in getting into the design side of mechanical engineering, and to give back to the community of South Africa”, said Luke.
“One of the most fun parts of the Masakh’iSizwe programme was their outreach programme where we went to go help paint a primary school’s bathrooms because the bathrooms were getting old,” he continued.
New and returning bursars are now tasked with fulfilling key responsibilities which include achieving adequate academic performance and conducting themselves well at university. These students are also responsible for proactively communicating with campus coordinators about any social or academic challenges they may face, and they are expected to participate in Masakh’iSizwe social responsibility events.