Abstract
The Higher Education offerings dealing with the
development of technicians and technologists are
in a state of flux. Change is immanent and by
2017 the current Technician / Technologist
qualification dispensation will evolve to the
Bachelor of Engineering Technology and
Bachelor of Engineering Technology Honours
programmes.
Professional Engineering development will
take place at Science programme based
institutions such as the traditional universities
and also at the institution deemed to be a
comprehensive university in the South African
Higher Education arena. A comprehensive
university may be seen as a mix between the
University of Technology and the traditional
academic programmes offered by traditional
Universities.
The University of Johannesburg mining
department has the mission to instil competence
and confidence in young mining technicians,
technologists, engineers and managers. The
current programmes consist of the three year
National Diploma in Mining Engineering (339-
1) and the post diploma one year Bachelor of
Technology in Mining Engineering (619-1). In
reality the focus is and should be on developing
Technologists.
The paper looks at the qualifications mix of
the UJ Mining Department and its required
niche in the southern African mining
environment and educational pathways in the
next era commencing 2017. It takes a route different to the other three mining offerings in
South Africa and focuses on largely attaining
professional registration of the technologist with
the Engineering Council of South Africa
(ECSA) and if it continues, the Government
Certificate of Competency.
Research and course work combination
offerings or purely research offerings become
more important to UJ Mining and these will be
accommodated in the new dispensation through
Honours, M Phil and D Phil post graduate
offerings, in mining operations and its sub
disciplines of rock engineering, ventilation, risk
management, and mine planning in the areas of
metalliferous, coal and surface mining including
quarrying specialisations. The change could
well deliver desired effectiveness and efficiency
and not just be a function of political objectives.