SAIMM Mentoring Programme

Careers

Mentoring Programme

Scholarship Fund

The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy established a Scholarship Trust Fund for students in Mining and Metallurgy at South African tertiary educational Institutions in 2003. The fund holds some reserves for future years in order to smooth the flow of monies to the Institutions. Considerable funding has come from the SAIMM itself as it has contributed R150000 each year; but significant funds have been donated by individuals in the minerals and metals industry or by the smaller companies operating in the industry.
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SAIMM Mentoring Programme

What is Mentoring?

What is a Mentor?
The broad definition is this: an experienced person who goes out of his/her way to help a mentee set important life goals and develop the skills to reach them. An informal mentor provides coaching, listening, advice, sounding board reactions, or other help in an unstructured, casual manner. A formal or enhanced informal mentor agrees to an ongoing, planned partnership that focuses on helping the mentee reach specific goals over a designated period.

How do I become a Mentee?
We suggest that you start by reading articles to do with personal vision and development plans. Take an hour or two to work through the exercises there. They'll help you clarify your goals and the kind of help you want.
Here's a brief outline to guide you:

Reframe your own role and responsibilities
Identify what - then whom - you need
Evaluate yourself as a prospective mentee
Identify potential mentors
Prepare to approach your potential mentors
Approach your potential mentors

In a nutshell, make it easy for someone to help you. Know what it is you want and be specific when you make your request. Take responsibility for your development. Have realistic expectations of others and be sure to express your appreciation for any help you receive.

It's unlikely that one person can provide all the help you need, so look for several individuals who might each play a part. Service and professional organizations are full of individuals with varied interests and expertise. They can also be a wonderful source of assistance.

Make sure you're well prepared before you make the contacts (and be thinking of ways you might be able to offer assistance in exchange for the help).

Code of Ethics for Mentors and Mentees

Code of ethics for mentors and mentees. Mentors/mentees must adhere to the following ethical principles:

Maintain strict confidentiality on all aspects of the mentor-mentee relationship and will only divulge information pertaining to the mentor/mentee or the relationship if express permission to do so is given by the mentor/mentee.
Refrain from discussing the mentor/mentee with any third party.
Activities designed to lure a mentee away from the latter's current place of employment or to undertake any related activities are forbidden.
All interaction between the mentor and the mentee should be at a professional level and thus, mentor/mentee should not exploit the mentoring relationship for any personal gain to the mentor/mentee.
Mentors should be sensitive to racial and gender differences and should, accordingly treat all mentees equitably.
Mentors should distance themselves from any possible issues of conflict between companies in relation to mentees.

Mentor Criteria

The overriding criterion is that mentors must want to be mentors (i.e. a genuine interest in “growing” others) and that this desire is primarily for the benefit of the mentee and not for any other ulterior motives. In addition, the mentor must:

Be a person of standing in the mining or related industries with demonstrable levels of wisdom, experience, knowledge and expertise to which peers can attest
Be prepared to offer up adequate time to the people he/she is mentoring
Be trustworthy, reliable and ethical
Have sound interpersonal skills
Have a broad personal network (of people in the Mining Industry mainly)
Be a person who sets high personal standards.

Mentoring Privacy

During the Mentoring programme registration process you will be required to enter contact details and experience information into a brief CV. The Mentor CV information is only visible to Mentees and Mentee's to Mentors. Furthermore it is possible to partake in the Mentoring programme without revealing yourself at all to any other participants. Three options are available to control your participation and visibility in the Mentoring programme:

Available: Says to other participants in the Mentoring programme that you are available to start an active Mentoring session. This option could be used by a Mentor to indicate he has a full quota of Mentees, or he is currently involved with another project, or he is on vacation.
Contactable: Controls whether or not your contact details, are available from the website. If they are a "direct email" link is available.
Viewable: Allows participation in the Mentoring program, but without your name or CV information available to others. In this state you would have to email / fax / post your CV information to a Mentoring partner as it will not be available from the Mentoring site.

How to Register for Mentoring

Please note you must be a registered and logged in as a "SAIMM Web User" to be able to register for the SAIMM Mentoring Programme. Once you have register for the Mentoring Programme, you can proceed directly to step 14 for future Mentoring logins. Please follow these steps:

Complete the Quick registration form and press Submit registration.
The administration person will add the successful applicant to the mentor data base and inform the candidate about the login details.
The candidate can login into the data base and should confirm personal details. The candidate can start with the mentoring process.
For any assistance contact the adminstration person, Julie Dixon

Useful downloads

Download the BEST PRACTICE GUIDELINE
for the development of
GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES:
MINING AND METALLURGY

Places to study

Universities
- University of Stellenbosch - Geology (1117)
  This Department will provide the best possible environment within which both staff and students can maximise their potential, for the benefit of South Africa, through sound and practical training in our disciplines, research and scholarship.
- University of Stellenbosch - Process Engineering (1108)
  As engineers, we play pivotal roles in the chemical processes used to convert raw materials into valuable products, as well as optimising the processes used to extract minerals from the ore in which it is found. By using our science and engineering theory, we are able to develop various industrial manufacturing processes and to make them more efficient. In this way, we contribute to the development of globally competitive industries in South Africa.
- University of the Wiwatersrand -Chemical & Metallurgocal Engineering (1188)
  The School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering was formed in 1995. It is the first of its kind in South Africa. It is the combination of the former Departments of Chemical Engineering and Metallurgy and Materials Engineering. At present, the School has about 400 undergraduate students, and about 80 post-graduate students. About half of the post-graduate students are employed in industry, and their research work is of interest to their employers.
- University of the Witwatersrand -Geosciences (1125)
  The Wits Faculty of Science is one of the leading Science Faculties in the country and has an excellent track record in both teaching and research. Staff are highly competent scientists and educators who are committed to providing quality learning environments. Our courses and qualifications are on par with the best in the world as evidenced by their recognition by prestigious major institutions abroad. The aim of the Bachelor of Science degree is to develop graduates with a sound training in core scientific disciplines. On graduating our students have acquired the basic academic skills of scientific problem solving and an appreciation of the scientific method. An additional year of study leads to a teaching qualification, or a more specialized Honours degree.
- University of the Witwatersrand - Engineering (1122)
  The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment is at the forefront of creating wealth by providing society with well-educated, entrepreneurial graduates in engineering and built environment programmes. The Faculty's seven schools of * Architecture and Planning * Civil & Environmental Engineering * Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering * Construction Economics & Management * Electrical & Information Engineering * Mechanical, Industrial & Aeronautical Engineering * Mining Engineering
- UNISA - Science (1449)
  Apart from the many fascinating phenomena waiting to be discovered and explained, studying the natural sciences fosters the important skills of analytical and creative thinking. Unisa science qualifications are internationally recognised and open the door to a variety of exciting and worthwhile careers in industry, education, and basic or applied research. In this site, we shall introduce Unisa and in particular our Science Faculty, and describe the special ways by which students study science at Unisa. This site will also explain how to select the qualification and subjects most suited to your needs.
- UNISA - Engineering (1401)
  Department of Civil and Chemical Engineering Unisa (Florida Campus) Private Bag X6 Florida 1710 Phone: 011 670 9000 Department of Electrical and Mining Engineering Unisa (Florida Campus) Private bag X 6 Florida 1710 Phone: 011 670 9000 Department of Mechanical and industrial Engineering Unisa (Florida Campus) Private bag X 6 Florida 1710 Phone 011 670 9000
- University of Pretoria - Geology (1241)
  Welcome to the home of Bushveld Geology, Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, Geodynamics, and Natural Hazards research in South Africa. Essentially everything of geological consequence north of the Jukskei River belongs to us. The Department of Geology at the University of Pretoria teaches two major undergraduate and honours study programmes, in (1) Geology and (2) Environmental and Engineering Geology (encompassing also Hydrogeology at honours level).
- University of Pretoria - Metallurgy (1439)
  Metallurgical engineers change the world around them – by extracting metals from ores, by producing and shaping alloys, and by contributing to economic development. This Department similarly helps to shape and refine the people we work with. We have much to offer in terms of degree programmes, research opportunities and continuing education. We pride ourselves on the quality of our teaching, research and industrial contacts and laboratory facilities.
- University of Pretoria - Mining (1409)
  Our Department ensures the supply of engineers and knowledge to industry by being the preferred African source of mining engineers and knowledge, through the optimal use of skills. We offer opportunities to the maximum number of students and use positive competition to guarantee continual improvement.
- Univerity of Limpopo (1207)
  The School of Physical and Mineral Sciences is run at both Campuses of the University of Limpopo , i.e., Medunsa and Turfloop Campuses. The School comprises of three departments, namely, Chemistry, Geology, and Physics; three centres, namely, Materials Modeling Centre, centre for Micro-Analysis and Microscopy, and the Science Centre; and Water and Sanitation Institute. Geology and Water and Sanitation are presented at the Turfloop Campus. Details of the offerings by the School are in the School calendar, as well as in the web page.
- NorthWest University (1092)
  Chemical engineering entails the research, development, construction, industry and management of industrial processes, by which elements are converted either chemically or physically into products of higher economic value. The modern chemical engineer makes use of mathematical and chemical ingenuity to develop, optimise and maintain industrial processes.
- University of KZN (1133)
  In 2005 the Faculty of Science and Agriculture will offer programmes at the Howard College, Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses. However, not all programmes or majors are offered at all campuses. In particular, Agriculture is offered only on the Pietermaritzburg campus.
- University of Johannesburg (1382)
  The Department of Mine Surveying is one of 16 Departments located in UJ’s Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. It enjoys strong links with the mining industry, including the Department of Minerals and Energy Affairs and the Institute of Mine Surveyors South Africa. The Mine Surveying Department at UJ is the only one in South Africa offering a full-time contact programme in Mine Surveying, equipping graduates to competently carry out the duties of a mine surveyor.
- Univeristy of Cape Town- Geology (1110)
  The department was initially founded in 1895 as the School of Mines at the South African College which later became the University of Cape Town.