Pretoria student receives a bursary

The department of public works recently awarded bursaries to about 82 students, one of them being a Centurion resident. Liezel Bruwer is currently in her third year studying towards a B.Eng (civil engineering) degree and said she is grateful for receiving a bursary worth R60 000.

“My dream of becoming a civil engineer has been given a green light. I was raised by a single parent and we had to make the best of every cent that was earned. I learned early in life that nothing can be taken for granted and that I will have to work hard at everything to succeed. I was ecstatic when finding out that I was one of the fortunate few receiving a bursary from the department of public works,” said Bruwer.

She further said the field that she had chosen was mainly dominated by men but as a woman she felt proud that women had been able to contribute and would pave the way for other women to make their mark in the civil engineering industry of South Africa.

The department of public works has awarded 82 bursaries aimed at supporting students – currently enrolled for careers in the built environment – that are from disadvantaged communities, are currently in their second to fifth year of study and have achieved an overall pass rate of 65% in the previous level of study.

Minister Thulas Nxesi said in a statement that the bursary initiatives were part of the seven-year plan to rebuild the department, which included, to rebuild the technically and professional capacity of public works and the state and to promote training and skills development in the built environment in line with the needs of the National Infrastructure Plan and the National Development Plan, and to transform the built environment professions to reflect the demographics of the country.