Yes, you are still required to gain work experience even though you have completed your post graduate studies. You will need to contact ECSA if you wish to gain some exemption for completing any post graduate studies..

You will generally work as a consultant, contractor, or supplier within the engineering industry. Whichever part of the industry you work in, you must always check that your work experience is aligned with ECSA requirements. Your work should include, design work, problem identification, management of resources such as time and finances as well as being in a situation where you had to display the use of engineering judgment. More of this will be discussed in our training video on ECSA requirements.

ECSA requires that a minimum of 3 years work experience is required. Now depending on how much commitment you show, it could take an additional year to consolidate and complete all your reports. Our experience has shown that a candidate will generally take 4 years to complete all their training, but we have had the committed candidates who have completed their reports in 6 months. So, the minimum time is 3 years after date of graduation while the actual amount of time is dependent on your commitment to completing your reports.

Unfortunately, it is compulsory to have a mentor. Should you not be able to find one on ECSA website, employ the services from a company that specialise in helping candidates become ECSA registered. Contact Godfrey Mongwe who specializes with helping candidates to register with ECSA. Email: [email protected]

There is a market related salary for those who become professionally registered. Some companies do offer bonuses and give a salary increase once you become professionally registered, but this does depend on the organisation. So, it will depend on the type of work you do and your industry. Rushing any process is never a good idea as things are often not done to the best of your ability. If you are not successful with your application, you may add an additional year onto your application process. So, my advice is to do things properly and correct the first-time round. Work consistently on your training but do not rush to just because of finances

Yes, you can include any project as long as it is relevant, and it is aligned with ECSA requirements. When you begin with your first training and experience report, it is acceptable to state that you were assisting others. Your final training and experience report must however be at a level where you accepted full responsibility for the project, and you were performing all major tasks.

Routine work will not work in your favour when you are graded. If you are in a situation where you are conducting routine type of work, you need to speak to your supervisor and mentor and find an opportunity where you can find some variance in your work. Consider conducting a site audit or a feasibility investigation. In addition to your routine work, give a presentation on your finding of the project to your clients. Nothing prevents you from becoming creative and adding additional aspects to your routine type of work.

It is not compulsory to register a C&U, it is however recommended that you do.

ECSA can take between 3-4 months to grade your report. Should your application be successful, you will then be required to schedule a date for the professional review which can take an additional 1 months. ECSA can then take an additional 1 months to provide you with feedback from your review. So, the entire grading process can range between 6 months or less on other factors. These are just some of the questions that candidates within the industry have been asking us and should you have any questions, please feel free to call us send or email us on: [email protected]