- South Africa’s state owned energy utiltiy, Eskom, will soon launch a Crowdsourcing digital platform to allow it to supplement its existing skills base to help address its operational challenges.
- The platform will act as a skills database for Eskom to acquire additional expertise and to resolve its urgent business needs.
- Eskom is in crisis and yesterday implemented stage 6 loadshedding in the country. Read more
The Crowdsourcing initiative will also leverage partnerships with statutory and non-statutory bodies such as the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and others to ensure that Eskom can access the best candidates in the electricity supply industry, engineering and technical professions.
In recent months, Eskom has received an overwhelming response to its call for skilled personnel to come forward to assist in rebuilding skills inside the organisation, and numerous organisations and individuals have come forward to respond to this critical call for national service. “A diverse cross-section of South Africans have sent enquiries and made themselves available to respond to the call to national service,” said André de Ruyter, Eskom Group Chief Executive. “Eskom is in the process of matching the skills that have already been made available to its needs and will be recruiting the suitable candidates imminently.”
While the digital platform is still in development, individuals who wish to be considered can contact the Office of the Group Executive for Human Resources via email: crowdsourcing@eskom.co.za.
Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via a digital platform. Since South Africa has a pool of skilled persons, crowdsourcing of these skills may offer a unique opportunity for available and willing citizens to support Eskom to resolve its business challenges.
This crowdsourcing opportunity has been prompted by several offers and submissions received from organisations and individuals, including experienced engineers and technical experts, who have indicated that they could potentially assist Eskom.
“In order for Eskom to reap the highest benefit from this diversity of skills, it must also develop a governance mechanism and a platform that will provide equitable opportunity to all those willing to be considered for service” said Elsie Pule, Group Executive for Human Resources. “The process will be driven by the needs of Eskom and will follow a standard governance process for fixed-term contracting.”
Interested individuals will be able to register on the digital platform to allow Eskom to access skills across the country. Eskom looks forward to collaborating with South African citizens to address the current electricity supply challenges facing the country.
Skills that would be required, include but are not limited to, mechanical, nuclear, electrical, system and maintenance skills, as well as senior artisans and plant operators for coal and nuclear power stations.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
