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A Review of the GCC Open Day Hosted by Palucraft

On 29 November 2025, Palucraft hosted the GCC Open Day at their Bryanston Training Center. The purpose of the GCC Open Day was to provide a platform for GCC Factories and GCC Mines Candidates to network and gain insights that will advance their careers as Certificated Engineers.


In this article, I will spend some time reflecting on the journey we walked during the day.


GENESIS


At the start of the event, we took a step back in time - all the way to 1784, to the beginning of the First Industrial Revolution, and travelled through the second, third, and into the fourth industrial revolution we are living in today. 


At every stage, one thing became clear: whenever technology advanced, the world needed competent people to design it, operate it, maintain it, and keep others safe around it.


FRUSTRATIONS


We then looked at how society responded to the challenges of their time and reflected on the following:


  • The founding of the International Labour Organisation in 1919, pushing globally for decent, safe work.

  • The evolution of workplace safety law in South Africa, starting from the Factories, Machinery and Building Work Act of 1941, right up to today’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Mine Health and Safety Act.

  • The recognition that machinery, processes, and workplaces are only as safe as the people mandated and prepared to look after them.


We also reflected on the professional response from engineers themselves:


  • The formation of SAIMechE in 1910, at a time when engineers needed a collective voice and a platform to share knowledge and solve the problems of their era.

  • The founding initiative of the NSBE SouthAfrica in 1995 and its formalisation in 1998, to respond to a different but equally critical problem — the underrepresentation of Black engineers and the need for transformation, mentorship, and access.


READING BETWEEN THE LINES


If you look carefully, you’ll see a pattern: Each generation faced its own frustrations — and each generation responded by building institutions, systems, and programmes to solve those frustrations.


Today, in our time, the frustration is different. We are not short of graduates. We are not short of people with potential. But we are short of:


  • Mentors,

  • Guided pathways, and

  • Structured professional development that takes graduates from “qualified on paper” to “competent, confident, and registered” — whether as GCC Certificated Engineers, Pr Eng, Pr Tech Eng, Pr Cert Eng, or Pr. Techni Eng.



ECHOES FROM GUEST SPEAKERS


This frustration was echoed powerfully by our speakers today:


So if the frustrations of past generations were about unsafe machines, unregulated factories, or lack of representation, the frustration of our time is this:

“How do we ensure that the graduates we have become the competent, confident, and registered professionals that South Africa so desperately needs?”

That is where engineering practitioners, seniors, managers, and leaders come in. And that is where Palucraft, together with SAIMechE, NSBE, ICMEESA, the Department of Employment and Labour, and many other partners, must continue to play our part.


CALL TO ACTION TO GRADUATES

Where to from here for the graduate engineers, technologists, technicians, and artisans?


  1. Choose your path with intention. Whether it is GCC Factories, GCC Mines, or another professional route — be deliberate. Understand the requirements, the timeline, and the sacrifices needed.

  2. Don’t walk the journey alone. Get a mentor. Engage with NSBE, SAIMechE, ICMEESA, and other professional bodies. Speak to those who have walked the path.

  3. Invest in your development. Use platforms like the Palucraft GCC programmes not just to pass an exam, but to truly build competence — competence that protects people, plants, and communities.

  4. Persevere through the challenges. Every meaningful qualification, every registration, every appointment at a high level is built on seasons of pressure, doubt, and sacrifice. Don’t interpret challenges as a dead end — see them as part of the process.


Tell me what you think in the comments section of this article.


Also, let me know what you're planning to achieve in 2026. Use the commitment you're going to post in the comments as your accountability statement for 2026 and beyond.


APPRECIATION


To everyone who attended the 29 November 2025 GCC Open Day – thank you:


  • To the professional bodies and organisations represented, SAIMechE and NSBE SouthAfrica, thank you for standing with us and for the work you do every day in building and regulating this profession.

  • To our speakers, panelists, and GCC testimonial, thank you for your honesty, insight, and encouragement.

  • To all the graduates, GCC candidates, students, and professionals who joined us – thank you for taking a step toward your future by being part of the event.

  • To the Palucraft team, project coordinators, family members, and support staff who worked behind the scenes – your effort is deeply appreciated.


CLOSING REMARK


The 29 November 2025 GCC Open Day was not just an event. It was a reminder that we are part of a bigger story – a story that started long before us, and will continue long after us. 


Our responsibility is to make sure that, in our time, we do not ignore the frustrations we see… 


…but rather, that we build the mentorship, the programmes, the structures, and the communities that will solve them.


A big thank you to everyone who was part of this journey with us. Travel safely during the festive season, stay connected, and we look forward to walking the GCC Factories and GCC Mines path with you in 2026 and beyond.


Yours in Professional Development,

Nkululeko Thusini



SOME SIDE NOTES


NSBE


Conceived in 1995, the NSBE SouthAfrica is a Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) that provides a meaningful contribution in ensuring full participation of black engineers in the mainstream economy, wealth creation, and distribution. It is a non-racial organisation and is open to individual and corporate members who share the common value of inclusion and transformation of the engineering industry, in whatever shape or form.


Learn more about the NSBE individual and corporate membership options by visiting https://nsbe.org.za/


Please get in touch with the NSBE to support their cause by becoming a member.


SAIMECHE


SAIMechE is over a century old, having originated as the South African Association of Engineers and Architects in 1892, and the successor thereof was formed in 1910. SAIMechE is the senior body representing the discipline of mechanical and mechatronics engineering in South Africa. It has a vibrant student chapter and hosts numerous events and initiatives benefiting the mechanical engineering industry and its members.


Learn more about SAIMechE student, individual, and corporate membership options by visiting https://www.saimeche.org.za/


Please get in touch with the SAIMechE to support their cause by becoming a member.


GCC Mines Study Material


During the GCC Open Day, 'A Guide to the GCC Mines Plant Engineering Exam' Book 3 of 2026 was introduced by Palucraft. 


Palucraft has been synonymous with the GCC Factories, and the introduction of the GCC Mines support material was long overdue.


Click here to learn more about the GCC Mines Study Material introduced by Palucraft.

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