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Mish-Al Booley, Keegan de Waal and Taufeeq Khan of the Department of Transport and Public Works have progressed from being candidate engineers to becoming professional registered civil engineers.

They received the necessary training, support and on-the-job experience for professional registration from the Department’s Professional Development Programme (PDP). This kind of support is a key component of the PDP’s ongoing efforts to address the shortage of transport, built environment and engineering professionals in the Western Cape.

In October 2015, the three were employed permanently by the Department to make their professional contributions to the construction and maintenance of the province’s crucial road infrastructure asset.

Booley (29), from Athlone, received a study bursary from the Department’s Masakh’iSizwe Bursary Programme. He says a lot of hard work was required to become a professional engineer. “It took me six years to get here – four on the site, and two in the design office. It was quite a journey and I am indebted to my mentor Dave Lyddell who took me through the training and mentoring programme and evaluated me until he felt I was ready to register,” said Booley.

De Waal (27), from Heathfield, also received a departmental bursary and joined the Department as a candidate engineer in February 2011. “At the end of the day, a very important piece of paper makes everything worth it. The training and mentoring programme has added value to my career,” said De Waal.

Khan (26), from Wynberg, joined the Department in October 2015 as a graduate with some private sector experience. “From day one, the Department’s engineers assisted me greatly and showed confidence in me. I look forward to adding value to the province’s road network for many years,” said Khan.

The trio are now part of the elite group of individuals who can add the distinguished abbreviation Pr Eng to their names. They are managing a number of road infrastructure projects, some of which are worth millions. With the support of seasoned engineers in the Department, these young professionals are working to deliver road infrastructure on time and within budget.

They are looking forward to sharing their expertise with new graduates entering the PDP. Their supervisor Neil Cock says, “They are one of the pillars of our component”.

Issued by Western Cape Government