Awards for top BTech engineering graduates

https://crown.co.za/property/8866-awards-for-top-btech-engineering-graduates

Published: 07 February 2019 by CROWN Publications

The Institute of Professional Engineering Technologists (IPET) has awarded the best BTech engineering graduates from across South Africa for their excellent academic achievements. This annual event honours the best male and female graduate across all engineering disciplines, from each university, as well as the top achievers across all the universities. These awards are made on the basis of engineering BTech students achieving top marks in this qualification, according to the educational requirement for registration as professional Engineering Technologist with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), since around 1984.

The top male achiever, Sandro Duarte Cesar, who graduated in Chemical Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), had an average of 84% He actually travelled from Angola to attend the ceremony, during which he received a 75 mm gold-plated medal and a framed certificate. The top lady was Asavela Sigonya from the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She graduated in Electrical Engineering with an average of 82.75% and also received a medal and certificate. She is currently a Master’s Candidate at UJ. She wrote, “We are truly grateful for the recognition and receiving such prestigious awards. It encourages us to do more and be more as we are the future of this beautiful country.” She continued, “I hope to work more with IPET in reaching out to young people and encouraging those that have embarked on this journey already.” The other graduates each received a 60 mm gold-plated medal and certicate.

IPET has a long history, stretching from the sixties, in different forms. However, very soon after the Engineering Profession Act of 1990 became law, The South African Association of Registrable Engineers and Technologists (SAARET) received many requests from its members to meet not only their purely vocational but other needs as well. As a result, SAARET decided that it should also become involved in activities normally associated with those of learned societies. As a first step, in depth consideration was given to provide a name for this body more in line with the new thinking. At the Annual General Meeting held in August 1994, it was unanimously agreed that the name of SAARET be changed to Institute of Professional Engineering Technologists (IPET).

IPET strives to improve the image and status of engineering technologists of all disciplines and is hard at work to ensure that they get the recognition they so richly deserve. It determines the standards for the registration of Professional Technologists (Engineering).

IPET has succeeded in getting the National Building Regulations altered so as to authorise professional technologists to sign building plans as competent persons. It has provided exclusivity in its membership by allowing only Professional Engineering Technologists as full corporate members of the Institute. It has for years been trying to get full recognition for the engineering technologist in all spheres of Government and Industry, and it is continuing the battle. It is instrumental in the provision of Liability Insurance for its members in private practice. IPET assists applicants who have been unsuccessful in obtaining registration as Professional Engineering Technologists in obtaining this sought-after status.

A very important benefit is the fact that technologists registered with IPET are eligible for some free CPD points annually.