Currently browsing: HomeNews PDNA Da Vinci Academy develops local talent
PDNA Da Vinci Academy develops local talent
PDNA Da Vinci Academy develops local talent
JOHANNESBURG – October 23, 2008 – A young man with a dream of becoming a civil engineer, Pankaj Bhulla walked into PD Naidoo & Associates’ (PDNA) small office in central Johannesburg 14 years ago looking for a job. Impressed by Pankaj’ ambition and willing attitude, Dempsey Naidoo, executive chairman of PDNA offered him the company’s first undergraduate bursary as well as an internship at the company.
Pankaj’s perseverance paid off when he obtained his Wits University BSc degree and became a registered professional engineer. Today, at the age of 34, he is a PDNA shareholder and Associate Director, being groomed to lead the company’s structural division in the future.
PDNA has since become one of the foremost engineering practices in South Africa and has continued investing in developing individuals. In 2006, in the wake of the much publicised technical skills shortage, PDNA established its own Training Academy aimed at accelerating the development of young graduates into mainstream engineering. The PDNA Academy has proved to be very successful for its staff over the past two years and the company felt that it should share this experience with its colleagues in the training industry, aiming to provide the desired skills for a skills-hungry business and economy. The company’s efforts recently culminated in the establishment of the PDNA Da Vinci Academy, which aims to provide opportunities for many more young South Africans to fulfil their aspirations.
According to Dr Paulo Fernandes, director of Econogistics, a PDNA subsidiary, the PDNA Academy has partnered with Da Vinci Holdings, a private higher education institution in order to focus on the delivery of advanced training and skills development within the fields of engineering, construction and manufacturing in order to address the critical skills shortage in South Africa.
“Believing in ‘engineers for engineering’, PDNA has the vision to provide the highest quality education to maximise equity and skills transfer and add value through the application of world class resources, practices and technologies,” he explains. “The Academy has been structured to generate a tailored set of offerings addressing needs across the full spectrum of technical, managerial and leadership skills and associated disciplines.”
Says Prof Roy Marcus, CEO of Da Vinci Holdings: “PDNA’s commitment to develop its own people and extending its initiatives into the industry was a very important factor in establishing this partnership. The company needs absolutely no persuasion in this regard.
“We believe that the PDNA Da Vinci Academy will become a preferred institution through which people can further their post-graduate studies as well as provide the opportunity for lower level employees to obtain qualifications. We are confident that our new education programmes will pioneer the engineering, construction and manufacturing industries,” he says.
The focus of the Academy is skills development and training at Certificate, Diploma, Masters (MSc) and Doctorate (PhD) levels. The different programmes all focus on the management of technology and innovation within the targeted sectors. Managed as a business-to-business skills development initiative, the Academy is positioned to develop customised courses and accredited qualifications to meet any skills development and training needs in organisations.
The following programmes are already in place under the umbrella title Engineering Business Management:
Certificate in Contract Management
MSc in Urban Development Practice
MSc in Integrated Transport Planning
MSc in Power and Energy Management
“Through its extensive network of both academic and industry experts, the PDNA Da Vinci Academy has sound sector knowledge and experience as well as access to local and international best practices and expertise,” states Fernandes.
“Pankaj’s passion for engineering and his commitment to the basic PDNA principle that one can teach a person ability but not attitude, has resulted in his meteoric rise within the company and his wealth of experience on major engineering projects, both locally and internationally. In an age when engineers are in demand, those who are willing to work hard will be granted their rewards in the future,” he concludes.
About Da Vinci:
The Da Vinci Group, which comprises of The Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management (Institute) and the Da Vinci Centre for Applied Innovation and Technology (CAIT). The Da Vinci Institute is a fully registered and accredited private higher education institute with the South African Department of Education. Da Vinci CAIT is registered with Umalusi. The Da Vinci Offerings span the full spectrum of offerings from NQF 1 to NQF 8+. At the highest levels, Da Vinci offers accredited courses leading to a certificate, diploma, Masters (MSc) and Doctorate (PhD) in the Management of Technology and Innovation. As a private university, Da Vinci is a business-to business operation which engages with private and public sector organisations and as such does not compete in the retail private education market.
