Bursary Applications Open to Future Master Builders
The applications for bursaries from the Master Builders Association of the Western Cape, (MBAWC), for the upcoming 2018 academic year opened on 15th November 2017. Over the past 10 years, the MBAWC has assisted 230 students, (many of whom are today employed by MBAWC members and other companies in the built environment), to further their studies in the “Built Environment” disciplines, through the awarding of bursaries.
Bursaries from MBAWC will cover the annual tuition fees in respect of various Built Environment courses offered by both the Academic Universities as well as the Universities of Technology, from the second year of study onward. The bursaries are valid for one year, but are renewable, subject to continued satisfactory academic progress.
The MBAWC will also sponsor selected bursary recipients’ attendance at each annual Master Builders South Africa Congress, enabling them to meet the captains of the building industry and attend various educational sessions.
Students who have successfully completed their first year of studies in the fields of Civil Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or Health & Safety Management are eligible to apply. In addition, they must either have been born in the Western Cape, or have completed their Basic Education in the Cape Town Metro or Greater Boland area. Bursaries are also available for the children of those employees working for MBAWC member companies. Those who are awarded bursaries are under no obligation to repay them, should they successfully complete their courses. Recipients are also not required to take up employment only with MBAWC members on completion of their studies.
While MBAWC primarily supports institutions of higher learning in the Western Cape, it has also supported students financially, in order to study at other Universities within the Republic in the past, due to special circumstances.
“The construction industry, which is crucial in meeting the country’s infrastructure and housing needs, has the potential to generate a number of much-needed jobs and boost the economy. However, we need skilled entrants to grow the industry and build South Africa.
In the words of Minister Gigaba, ‘We cannot hope to grow and develop, without the skills and intellectual capabilities that our universities and technical training colleges produce”.
Application forms are available from the MBAWC website and office from 15th November 2017 onwards. These must be submitted, together with a letter of motivation stating why the applicant has chosen their particular field of study, by the closing date of 30th November 2017. Successful applicants will be notified by 12th December 2017, circumstances permitting.
For more information, visit http://mbawc.org.za.