THE third group of 10 students from Eastcape Midlands TVET College (EMC) recently left for a 12-month internship in China.
According to Eastcape Midlands TVET College’s career development centre manager Rozanne von Gordon, EMC has 32 students in total who are currently 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,” Von Gordon said.
She described how the programme, which is fully funded and supported by the Chinese Culture and International Education Exchange Centre, together with MERSETA, is aimed at creating opportunities for the students to gain work experience through integrating them in a real-life work learning methodology that is utilised by the top 500 Chinese companies.
“The programme aims to promote investment opportunities and to support job creation in South Africa to expose students to international standards,” Von Gordon said.
The 10 students have been placed at Suzhou Vocational University where they will complete their three-month studies before being placed in industry for the remaining nine months.
“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,” Von Gordon said.
She further added that in April, EMC sent eight students to China who are currently completing their year-long training in electrical engineering studies, energy, water and sanitation, and at the beginning of June, EMC sent 14 students, also from the mechanical engineering field.
