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Young maritime scientist in the making

Subtech is expanding its bursary provision to support young women studying for maritime careers.

In the last issue of PELICAN we announced that Subtech in South Africa had set up the Subtech Imbokodo Trust to provide educational bursaries for prospective new mariners, in a bid to help promising female students complete the necessary studies for a career in the maritime industry.

Since that announcement, the trust has acquired 6% ownership in a start-up company, Subtech Core Innovation, which, once operational, will help the trust fund additional bursary recipients.

Group training and development manager, Mandy McGuire explains:

"We wanted to offer meaningful and sustainable support to a part of the population that is often overlooked or marginalised. 

"Our tagline for the trust is "transforming the maritime sector, one bursary at a time” and we hope to do this by allowing young female South Africans the opportunity to contribute to the development and transformation of the maritime sector."

The first beneficiary is 18-year old Siyamthanda Vuyelwa who is studying marine sciences at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She and two classmates were lucky enough to be supported by the Subtech Group through school where she became passionate about pursuing a career as a marine scientist.

Siyamthanda says:

"Had it not been for Mandy and the trust I would be at home looking for work now, rather than studying something I am really passionate about."

Further information

You can read more about the set up the Subtech Imbokodo Trust that Subtech has set up, which was previously featured in Pelican here: Offshore expansion for Subtech