RACA Journal : ISSN 1812-772X
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RACA Journal Publication www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za benjamin @ interactmedia . co . za
BRAIN DRAIN PEAK PERSISTS
Having access to so much information at one ’ s fingertips allows quite a unique view of the world as well as seeing the latest trends first . This is particularly the case for writers and editors for publication such as this one . One trend , that is critical for the engineering sectors , is the occurrence of “ brain drain ” – a term most people should be familiar with these days . It refers to the situation where skills are lost to other countries . For South Africa this is big risk , and one that is seeing the severity top prior record levels again , and again .
A second major impact for businesses comes in the form of what staff today perceive as “ acceptable work conditions ”, and to answer the question bluntly , this does not simply mean a fat payckeck every month anymore . The complexity of the work environment has changed dramatically over the last three years – and is a factor many business owners and managers alike have been struggling to keep up with .
So as I ' m sure you can connect the dots , these two factors of the business environment are much more related today than what they were , and having done some research into the reason why engineers , specifically the younger generation , choose alternate employment and even in some cases alternate careers is due to several factors – but one that stuck with me is the fact that they are “ limited in their exposure , use of technology and new design methodology .”
This of course can be directly related to their working environments and mentorship opportunities , but no doubt is a result of the additional “ mentality of clients ”, who as we know , all generally look to the bottom right of their quotes and select only the cheapest submission . This is definitely a bigger picture conversation and while I ’ m certain fingers can be pointed in many directions – perhaps this is an angle people need to consider more holistically . Without the support of businesses who do things right , comply with regulations and standards , and want to drive better systems , what this country will be left with is a whole lot more people who don ’ t know what they are doing , and then importing skills at ten times the rate – so what actually costs more ? You have to wonder about this impact over time . In this issue we cover some interesting international technology and we also report on a testing rig located at the University of Pretoria for falling film evaporators – an alternative to flooded systems that can gain optimum efficiency and can further reduce refrigerant charge ( test have shown up to 50 % reduction ). We also carry various contributor articles – are these of value to you ? I would be interested to know if this is information that adds value !
Our feature is on ducting – the connecting structures between components of all HVAC systems , their use and types of materials they can be made from . Generally in SA the two most common are your galvanised steel and fabric that has grown over recent years . There are also significant installations of stainless steel and black steel for particular applications . Our project covers an award winning development for Best in Africa for efficiency and sustainability and was located in Kigali , Rwanda . It is a high-rise multi use building .
We also feature David Botha in our personality profile who is clear in his views that compliance and standards save lives and this is particularly an important aspect in today ’ s environment where everyone thinks they are “ skilled ” after watching a video or two on social media .
This month ’ s quote ties into the case of what is becoming more and more important from a staff ’ s point of view and is one of the factors that makes people more likely to move on today or stick around in the STEM sectors .
“ Create and nurture an environment in your organisation where curiosity is encouraged , and creative thinking is rewarded . Develop talent for tomorrow , rather than getting stuck on yesterday .” - Pearl Zhu
I ’ m looking forward to hearing from you so I encourage you to get in touch , I ’ m always available .
Have a great month ahead ! RACA
Ben
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I October 2022 1