Young engineer helps SA students
Mngomezulu recruits college students to take up opportunities in China
Mechanical engineering graduate Duncan Mngomezulu has a noble mission for young South Africans. The 25-yearold from Hlamalani village in Mpumalanga paves the way for college students to pursue their studies overseas, mainly in China, to learn vital skills in their chosen careers. Mngomezulu uses his experience studying at Changzhou College of Information Technology and Bozhon company in China to help young students from all over SA to cope in a foreign country.
“I work for Chinese Culture and International Educational Exchange Centre; my responsibility is to recruit TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges) students in different fields of study. These students are given an opportunity to be on a one-year work-integrated learning programme in China,” he said. Mngomezulu, who has just completed his honours degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Johannesburg, said he managed the students and took them through an orientation programme. The students are advised about how to integrate into the Chinese environment and how to manage at a foreign school where a different language is spoken and taught. “Part of my job is to invite the students after they come back from China and we host career expos where we invite Chinese companies based in South Africa and other companies in South Afr ica for them to find
‘ ‘ My ultimate goal is to own engineering company
job opportunities and enhance their skills in different expertise and different fields.” Mngomezulu said he was chosen as a recruiter after he was a top student in his workintegrated programme in China, where he learnt some mechanical skills that were not yet easily available in South African institutions. He was also one of the innovators at the Brics Innovation and Future Skills Summit where he showed off his skills during the summit in Midrand in October. “I participated in the 2018 Brics Future Skills Challenge where I demonstrated the required technical competencies in CNC multi-axis machining and I received an award, on which next year I will be going to Brazil for the same summit.” He wants to pursue a master’s degree in the UK next year.
“Through education, anyone has the ability to achieve. My ultimate goal is to own a mechanical engineering company.”