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Developing systems engineers

Systems engineering is a critical capability for our organisation's business following good growth in business but also because of risks in certain areas. Indeed, SE is of national importance if we are to sustain growth in the face of complex technologies. Ironically, there is a global shortage of these skills. This paper briefly reviews why it is difficult to develop SE skills and the current approaches used in industry considering their advantages and disadvantages. While the current approaches have proved useful, these are not producing enough systems engineers. Methods used in developing specialists in medicine at the University of Pretoria suggest a model for engineering faculties in developing systems engineers. Drawing on theories of cognitive and experiential learning, and learning from a social perspective an attempt is made to understand alternative methods for developing systems engineers. Against this backdrop, efforts implemented at the CSIR are described and preliminary findings reported. The key conclusion is that a balance between theory and practice is a vital accelerator in the development of systems engineers. Knowledge becomes knowing when it becomes the tool of action. This paper makes a number of important recommendations relevant to companies and universities.