De Beers launches 3-year $315 000 partnership to develop women engineers

De Beers Group on Monday announced the launch of a three-year $315 000 partnership with WomEng to develop the next generation of highly skilled women engineers.

De Beers will invest the funds in programmes that aim to encourage young women to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to pursue engineering careers in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

De Beers Group social impact senior VP Katie Fergusson commented that, “with a global shortage of engineers, and women representing only 11% of the engineering workforce, attracting more young women into engineering is vital.”

She noted that, given the rate of technological and societal change, there is a need for diversity of thought to find new solutions, adding that the group is, “thrilled to be able to partner with WomEng and play a role in supporting the next generation of talented engineers who will play a critical role in shaping the future “

The programme, a partnership with Unilever and EY, is designed to strengthen the students’ employability and leadership skills and cultivate innovative entrepreneurial thinking through the WomEng Innovation Challenge. Students are challenged to develop an engineering business solution to meet the Untied Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Meanwhile, De Beers last week hosted 60 pre- and postgraduate women engineering students from South Africa, Botswana and Namibia at its Johannesburg head office to learn more about De Beers Group and the diamond value chain.

The students were hosted by De Beers Group managed operations MD Mpumi Zikalala.

Zikalala spoke on her journey from starting out as an Anglo American bursar, to becoming the first female GM of the De Beers Kimberley and Voorspoed mines.

She was later appointed senior VP of the group’s Sightholder Sales in South Africa before taking over as deputy CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines in 2017. She has been in her current role since April 2019.

“The world you are about to enter into requires passion, dedication and hard work, but you must always remember not to compromise who you are along this journey – always stick to your values,” she reportedly told attendees.

She conveyed her pride in being part of a company that was “driven” to reimagine mining to change lives. “We are also committed to empowering women and girls and I hope you take this opportunity to learn and become the best version of yourselves.”

The students were given the opportunity to interact with various De Beers Group departments such as De Beers Group Technology, Exploration, Innovation (Ignite) and Element Six. The evening ended with a simulation exercise that tested their problem-solving skills and teamwork.

Next month, a series of half-day GirlEng #AskAnEngineer workshops will be held, facilitated by engineers, students and the WomEng team. Each session will target 200 girls in schools around De Beers Group’s operations.

The first such workshop will be held in Musina, South Africa, followed by sessions in Windhoek, Namibia, and Orapa and Jwaneng, in Botswana.

The sessions are designed to create awareness of the importance of STEM subjects and to provide the students with practical tools and routes to access engineering and technology careers.

Thereafter a regional GirlEng programme – where 60 students chosen from the earlier sessions are eligible for a sponsored two-day Innovation Boot-Camp in Johannesburg in March 2020 – will kick off.

Students will also be provided with support for university and scholarship applications, as well as exposure to mining environments.

WomEng, founded in South Africa in 2006, has run programmes in 19 countries and reached more than 50 000 girls and women studying STEM subjects. It is partnering with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation on its #1MillionGirlsinSTEM goal.

WomEng programme coordinator Aditi Lachman concluded that, “the event, hosted by De Beers Group, solidified our WomEng-De Beers Group relationship and collective commitment to developing young engineering leaders with skills of the future. The future looks bright and we are excited”.