When was the last time you heard of a South African lawyer giving his client a refund after the lawyer failed to successfully defend his client in court? Has your doctor ever given you a refund after the treatment that he prescribed for you, failed to heal you? However, if the professional technical person that one calls to repair some part of a manufacturing plant fails to resolve the problem, other than a minimum quoting fee, an engineer would generally not get paid for `failing to fix the problem'.
Then, to add economic insult to the initial unmerited injury, our esteemed co-professionals in these (and other) professions are remunerated at considerably higher rates than engineers. I have yet to find a lawyer who can convince me of the need for this variance. This discrepancy between the remuneration packages is not unique to South Africa. By way of example, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) reports that US lawyers earn approximately 25% more than engineers.
So if, generally, companies do not pay engineers the same salaries as other professionals, then pray tell, "Why is anybody surprised that there is a global shortage of engineers?"
Do not forget to add to the equation, countless television programmes that glamorise the legal and medical fraternities. Let us face facts. When did you last see a television drama series that glamorised the job of a control engineer in an oil refinery?
From a South African perspective, (and also the perspective of other developing countries eg, India), many of our control and instrumentation engineers are being 'poached' by countries that are prepared to pay higher wages for technical skills. One just has to think of the hoards of South African refinery engineers currently employed in the Persian Gulf.
So what is the solution? I suggest, ‘Pay engineers more!’ If one throws enough money at a shortage of resources, the problem will eventually go away. It is simple supply and demand economics. Businesses executives need to stop their incessant whining about the shortage of skilled technical staff. Instead, they need to pay their technicians, technologists and engineers salaries that are commensurate with their responsibilities. These salaries need to be equitable with other registered professionals eg, the legal and accounting officers in these same firms.
Mark my words. As long as this discrepancy in salaries exists, the ‘engineering skills shortage’ will continue.
Survey on engineering skills crisis
The Industrial Instrumentation Group (IIG) is currently conducting a survey on the engineering skills shortage in South Africa. The aim of the survey is to gauge industry's willingness, abilities, readiness and factors affecting the ability to contribute to tackling the chronic skills shortage in electrical and control and instrumentation engineering fields in South Africa. The survey is in line with deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA).
The survey consists of 18 questions and should not take more than 10-15 minutes to complete (at most). I urge every company that employs the relevant technicians and engineers to participate in the survey (www.iig.org.za/skills).
Graeme Bell
Managing editor: SA Instrumentation & Control
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