Today Wednesday 27 June, the third group of 10 students from Eastcape Midlands TVET College (EMC)
left for a 12 month internship in China. In total, EMC has 32 students currently in doing their
internships in China.
EMC has been identified as one of 15 TVET colleges to send students on a year-long fully
funded international training/internship programme in the Mechanical Engineering field. The
students come from the Fitting and Machining, Automotive Repair, and Mechatronics
programmes.
The programme is fully funded and supported by the Chinese Culture & International
Education Exchange Centre together with MERSETA.
The main purpose of the programme is to create opportunities for the students to gain work
experience through integrating them in a real work learning methodology that is utilised by
the top 500 Chinese companies. The programme aims to promote investment opportunities
in South Africa and to support job creation in South Africa; to expose TVET students to
international standards; to enhance TVET students’ work ethics in order for them to become
global citizens; and to provide TVET students with a competitive advantage, by exposing
them to international standards and machinery which will help them to further themselves in
their careers.
The 10 students underwent medical and criminal checks conducted by both South Africa
and China. After being cleared, they were placed at Suzhou Vocational University where
they will complete their three month studies before being placed in industry for the remaining
nine months.
This is a great opportunity for EMC’s students as they will not only receive systematic and
scientific training in a University or College, but they will also be exposed to the Chinese
language, culture and skills.
Once the students have completed their internship; which will consist of three month studies
at a University or College and nine months working within Chinese Manufacturing
companies; they will return with an internationally recognised Certificate from both the
Institute and Employer which will strategically place them in the job market with
internationally recognised work skills for their sector.
In April this year, EMC sent eight students to China who are currently completing their year-long
training/internship in two streams of Electrical Engineering studies; Energy and Water &
Sanitation, and at the beginning of June, EMC sent 14 students, also from the Mechanical
Engineering field.
China has made rapid advances in areas such as education, infrastructure and high-tech
manufacturing, and is now in some areas a world leader in technology.
