Khulu Phasiwe

IN A bid to build civil engineering and construction capacity in Gauteng ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the provincial government has partnered with German engineering and transport consultancy firm Dornier Consulting to launch a dedicated skills development project management academy.

The training centre, to be known as Akanani Project Management Academy, will provide courses, seminars, practical training and certification specifically designed to assist private and public sector engineers and other officials in upgrading and expanding their project management capabilities.

The academy, which will offer formally accredited qualifications backed by the Johannesburg-based Da Vinci Institute of Technology Management, will be opened in Modderfontein in April this year.

Gauteng public transport, roads and works MEC Ignatius Jacobs said yesterday that SA had a dire need for skilled project managers to handle the country’s large infrastructure projects. As a result his department had been in talks with a number of players on how to build the capacity of construction and civil engineering in the province, he said.

"The firm came with an attractive proposal that offers skills enhancement and transformation as one package," the MEC said.

"Akanani will empower black engineers to make their full contribution to the expansion and modernisation of our infrastructure as the basis not only for a masterfully executed world cup in 2010, but more for the future of our economy."

The proposed R7bn Gautrain project linking Johannesburg and Pretoria via a high-speed passenger train will form an integral part of the infrastructure expansion and upgrade of the province.

Dornier Consulting CEO Herbert Grünwald said nearly 80% of corporate projects in all parts of the world failed, mainly due to lack of project management skills.

He said: "An increasing number of companies realise that successful project management has become a key qualification and an important competitive factor."

Grünwald said central Asia and SA were identified as Dornier Consulting’s new markets.

"We are excited by the prospects and challenges offered not only by 2010, but also by the stable and growth-orientated economic policies followed by the South African government," the CEO said.