Industry expert talks about importance of continuous learning
Learning from industry experts is a vital component of any student’s training. Such an expert is Thabo Lekgowane, a robotics engineer from Ford, and a member of the SAIMC. Recently, he addressed students from the TUT Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment on the current advances in the industry.
Thaba Lekgowane addressing TUT students.
In addition to sharing a wealth of information, Lekgowane encouraged final year diploma students to take their studies seriously and make the most of every opportunity to learn. He emphasised the automation industry’s need for skilled workers from all engineering fields, and advised students to equip themselves with the relevant skills and knowledge to become the preferred engineers to fill this gap. Providing typical examples of industry-related projects, while also discussing the complex challenges posed by the fourth industrial revolution, he called on students to, “find their place in industry”.
Together with the Automation Federation, the SAIMC is driving the recognition of automation as a separate engineering discipline. This will assist to make opportunities available for the youth to use the technologies and designs of Industry 4.0 to prepare for the future world of work. In 2019 alone, the SAIMC spent 21% of its membership fees on developing the youth via the FIRST Tech Challenge and the MyFuture 4.0 exhibition.
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