FEBE students nurtured to produce prototyping solutions

Dr Ashleen Marshall, the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) and Community Engagement Coordinator for the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE), has expressed her excitement about the recent launch of the Engineers for Development, Growth and Entrepreneurship (EDGE) programme at Bellville Campus.

This initiative is designed for all final-year students within the faculty who were unable to secure an internship or work-integrated learning opportunity in the industry. Marshall, who has been involved as a mentor in the pilot of 2025, says the EDGE is a FEBE initiative in collaboration with Engineers Without Borders South Africa (EWBSA) that is spearheaded by Marshall and her team, which includes Patricia Overmeyer, Ambrence Fisher, Nina Drotskie, Dominic Preuss, Pitso Tebele, Zimisele Mlumiso, and Dr Maphole Loke. The team is supported by A-Prof Bronwyn Swartz (Faculty Learning & Teaching Coordinator) and Ayesha Reiners (Faculty Language Coordinator).

Marshall notes that EDGE is a structured initiative that uses Project-based learning to assist students to complete their Work Integrated Learning component of their qualifications. “The programme, which is the brainchild of the Dean of Engineering, Prof Suresh Ramsuroop, was piloted in 2025, and officially launched in 2026.”

She continues: “I am very excited about this project. I was involved as a mentor in the 2025 pilot and found the work very inspiring. Students in 2026 are motivated and involved. The coordination team is committed to the success of the programme.”

At the event, Ramsuroop welcomed industry professionals, students and CPUT staff, saying the name EDGE captures a powerful vision. “It is about developing engineers who are technically excellent, socially conscious, innovative in their thinking, entrepreneurial in their approach, and committed to sustainable development.”

He said through FEBE’s valued partnership with Engineers Without Borders SA, the students will engage directly with the challenges experienced within the Dunoon informal settlement. Ramsuroop noted that working alongside mentors and multidisciplinary teams, students will identify opportunities, develop practical engineering solutions, and apply their knowledge to address real community needs.

“This is project-based learning at its very best; it moves beyond theoretical exercises and textbook examples. It challenges students to work with uncertainty, engage with communities, appreciate social contexts, and develop solutions that are technically sound, economically viable, and socially relevant.

“Importantly, the EDGE programme also aligns perfectly with the educational philosophy of FEBE. We believe that engineering graduates must leave this institution with more than technical knowledge. They must possess the competencies expected of professional engineering practitioners —critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, communication, ethical practice, leadership and project management.”

Linae Baron from Engineers Without Borders (EWB) SA introduced approximately 450 attending students to the Bambasonke Project, which focuses on the Dunoon Township. Students were taken through a compelling introduction to the informal settlement, where the presentation and videos highlighted the everyday challenges faced by the people living in Dunoon.

Marshall presented an overview of Work Integrated Learning in the Faculty, and how the Bambasonke Project would be implemented by the EDGE team. The EDGE initiative encourages collaboration between engineering disciplines and aligns with GA7 (Engineering and Society), GA8 (Group Work), GA6 (Engineering Communication) and GA3 (Design Thinking) of the ECSA standard for the Diploma in Engineering. Dominic Preuss explained the structure of the modules to be completed and also gave an overview of the modules to be completed.

Marshall explained that there are three streams of WIL in the Faculty: 1 Work Placement; 2 Project-based learning (EDGE); 3 Hybrid Model (Combination of 1 and 2). In the Project-based learning stream, students are investigating real-world problems in a multidisciplinary setting. They will be mentored by CPUT as well as industry mentors to assist them in developing their concept solutions into implementable and sustainable solutions.

“These students are not getting a lesser experience of WIL; they are merely having a different WIL experience.”

Marshall, also a Lecturer: Department of Chemical Engineering, states that students will benefit especially as they are investigating a real-world problem which impacts society. She emphasised that students are encouraged to use the entrepreneurship component to not only recommend but develop sustainable solutions that can be utilised by the Dunoon community.

“We are not only teaching students how to think academically, but we are also encouraging them to build and produce (prototyping) solutions that could have a lasting impact on the Dunoon community and possibly create job opportunities through entrepreneurship.”

The students will complete their WIL component, thereby increasing the throughput rate for the Faculty of Engineering.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
Email: BoyceAp@cput.ac.za