For Sheldon Wesley Frankish, the Durban University of Technology (DUT) was a natural choice for him in 2018 when he was looking to upskill himself for a career in Construction Management.
The 29-year-old will be graduating with the esteemed Dean’s Merit Award for his BTech in Construction Management, at the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) 2020 Virtual Graduation ceremony on Wednesday, 10 June 2020.
“I also had experience and qualifications that aligned with the vision of DUT, and I made contact with Sipho Zulu who assisted with my application into the Construction Management programme for BTech level studies. Being accepted in the BTech programme was the result of my insight into industry and the confidence the department had in my skills to succeed,” he stressed.
However, for him, the challenge he encountered whilst completing his BTech in Construction Management was coming directly from a working industry and readjusting to a study environment, something which required great transition.
“The first year studying after being in industry was always going to be a challenge to readapt to the demands of university. Thankfully, with the assistance of expert staff at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), I was able to make the transition and excel within my qualification,” he said.
Frankish said that achieving his qualification is an amazing milestone in his life and career. “Completing my studies at DUT has been a very rewarding experience, from the networks and friends that were made, to the knowledge and experience that is allowing to seamlessly transition into industry,” he said excitedly.
He further added that throughout his time at DUT he thoroughly enjoyed the challenges and opportunities that presented itself through the relevant and up-to-date content that was prepared by DUT. “The support myself and fellow students received play a critical role in my success at DUT,” he said.
Frankish said that this degree offered various opportunities to interact with students from different backgrounds and experiences, and allowed the collaboration of students to produce high quality work.
Giving his thoughts on DUT hosting a virtual graduation this year, due to COVID-19, he said that it is unfortunate that graduation is taking on a different form than usual, in the form of a virtual graduation. “However, with COVID-19 every industry must adapt to the changing landscape in order to meet objectives. I am sure DUT will provide an excellent virtual graduation in June that will acknowledge the hard work every student has put into their education,” he stressed.
After completing his degree, Frankish was approached to join a DUT programme which allowed him to start working at Vuv’Amu Project Management and Engineering Consultants (Pty) Ltd, initially as an intern and then recently as a Junior Project Manager. This has allowed him to practice and further expand his knowledge base in the construction industry.
He added that he is grateful to the DUT community and endeavours to make a positive change in his broad community and country through innovation, projects, and entrepreneurial pursuits within his field. He is currently working toward being professionally registered with SACPCMP which I aim to achieve in 2021. He is also reading for a proposal for his Master’s in the Built Environment (MBE) at DUT to further expand his skills and knowledge in industry.
Pictured: Sheldon Wesley Frankish
Waheeda Peters
