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Co-Op Unit Secures More Internships In Thailand  

Co-Op Unit Secures More Internships In Thailand  

DUT will again be represented in Thailand by a further three Engineering third-year students who managed to secure themselves internships at Western Digital, the world renowned computer hard drive manufacturing company.

 

Last month (February), three Computer Systems students started their internships at Western Digital.

 

Mechanical Engineering students Grace Mala-Futi, Hlobani Dube and Electronic Engineering student, Shiveshni Pillay, will soon also jet off to Thailand on the same once in a lifetime opportunity. The trio is awaiting approval of their visas.

 

Recalling the time she was informed of her successful interview, Pillay still has a hard time explaining her reaction. “It was the biggest news I had ever received. After going through with the interview and receiving the news of success, a lot of thoughts ran through my mind. In fact, I cannot explain the mixed emotions I was feeling,” she said excitedly.

 

The internships will form part of their Work Integrated Learning (WIL) portfolio which is aimed at extending the academic learning process into the workplace through on-the-job learning experiences which are integrated with the learning objectives of the programme.

 

Director of DUT’s Co-Operative Education Department, Shakeel Ori, said DUT’s partnership with Western Digital was formed in agreement with Thailand Universities. “The students are extremely excited to go overseas. Going on such an internship, these students will be given training in a field that doesn’t exist in South Africa. This will also give the students an opportunity to work with individuals from different backgrounds, learn good working habits, gain business etiquette and most of all gain practical experience and improve their job prospects,” said.

 

Apart from the Thai students that train at Western Digital Thailand, there are 50 foreign students from 14 countries completing their WIL at the company. Senior engineers at the company act as mentors for each student.

 

Dube said he is impressed by Thailand’s social structure. “The only knowledge I have about Thailand, I found online after doing research. I now know that 95% of people in Thailand are Buddhist, 4% are Muslim and 1% is classified as other. To me this is good because it shows that values and culture are important to anyone and that people there have a freedom of expressing their own values,” he said.

 

He also added that he found out that industries contributed almost 44% to the GDP, citing this fact as “impressive because it means the private sector is active and no one is sitting and waiting for provision and support from the government.

Mala-Futi said he has been researching extensively on Thailand cultures and cannot wait to taste the food. He also acknowledged the DUT’s Co-Op Department, especially Ori for his tireless efforts of ensuring all the necessary documents are processed accordingly and in time before they travel to Thailand. “The Co-Operative Education Department has been very helpful and plays a big role in helping students because they find jobs on our behalf,” he said.

All three students are anxiously waiting to receive their passports and be on their way to Thailand to serve their six-months internship of a lifetime.

 

– Thobele Nzama

 

Pictured:  DUT students Grace Mala-Futi, Hlobani Dube and Shiveshni Pillay – the recipients of internships at Western Digital in Thailand.

 

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