IGEMS ANSWERS NATIONAL CALL FOR WORK-READY ENGINEERING GRADUATES.
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Gqeberha, South Africa - As South Africa’s higher education sector comes under increasing pressure to produce graduates who are not only qualified, but truly employable, Unity in Africa’s iGEMS programme is emerging as a practical example of the education-to-employment model the country urgently needs.
The recently released BDO South Africa Higher Education Sector 2025 report underscores a critical national challenge: higher education must move beyond access and enrolment numbers and place greater emphasis on “conversion”, ensuring students are successfully supported through the system and into meaningful employment. While graduate unemployment remains lower than the national average, the report highlights that it still stands at 12.2%, reflecting an ongoing mismatch between academic qualifications and the skills required by employers.
For iGEMS, this is not a future concern — it is the very reason the programme exists.
An initiative of the Unity in Africa Foundation, iGEMS supports promising young people from school level into engineering-related tertiary studies, and ultimately into the workplace. The programme is built around a structured pathway that includes academic support, mentorship, work-readiness training, workplace exposure, internships, and strategic industry partnerships.
The BDO report identifies work-integrated learning as one of the most important bridges between academic preparation and workplace readiness, describing it not as a supplementary component, but as a structural necessity. It further notes that employers increasingly seek graduates who can demonstrate problem-solving ability, communication skills, adaptability, digital fluency, and the capacity to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world environments.
This is precisely where iGEMS distinguishes itself.
Through its phased development model, learners are exposed early to the realities of the engineering sector. They are guided by experienced mentors, gain practical insight into professional environments, and develop the technical and soft skills required to thrive in demanding, fast-evolving industries. This early exposure helps ensure that by the time students graduate, they are not only academically prepared, but workplace ready.
“South Africa does not only need more graduates; it needs graduates who are prepared for the world of work,” said Berenice Rose, Founder and Director of iGEMS. “iGEMS is helping to close that gap by connecting education, industry and mentorship in a practical, measurable way. Our goal is to ensure that young people do not just qualify — they become employable, confident and ready to contribute.”
The BDO report also highlights high-demand growth sectors such as ICT, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and engineering as critical areas where South Africa must strengthen its skills pipeline. Against this backdrop, iGEMS presents a targeted response to both unemployment and the country’s ongoing technical skills shortage.
By working closely with schools, students, tertiary institutions, engineering firms and funding partners, iGEMS is building a structured pipeline of young talent equipped for both academic success and meaningful workplace impact. The programme demonstrates how collaboration between education and industry can help address one of South Africa’s most urgent challenges: translating potential into employability.
“Every young person who moves through iGEMS represents more than an individual success story,” added Rose. “They represent what becomes possible when opportunity is matched with structure, support and industry commitment.”
As South Africa’s higher education sector continues to navigate funding constraints, skills mismatches and uneven graduate outcomes, iGEMS stands as a timely example of how targeted, partnership-driven interventions can help prepare the next generation of engineering professionals.
For more information about iGEMS and Unity in Africa, visit www.uina.co.za.
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