Read, Swatman & Voigt (RSV) – one of South Africa’s most recognised consulting engineers and project managers has in recent years been more aware of the declining percentage of ‘grey hair’ mining professionals in the industry. In the midst of a global recession, the company’s ambition to drive forward its strategy to deliver a new generation of younger experts into the company, and into the mining field, is greater than ever - RSV chairman and CEO, Hennie Read tells Laura Cornish.
With over 1000 man-years of experience within its core business of new mine project development, RSV is optimising its available time developing its next generation of skilled engineers and experts.
“While this is not a new strategy, we now have the time to deliver on what we consider to be one of our major and significant growth strategies,” Read explains.

RSV has a full suite of mentorship programmes which it distributes throughout the company from its “protégés” (under the age of 40) through to its mature staff complement (above the age of 50).
“The success that has already been established within the company from annually adding ‘fresh youth’ is about achieving the perfect balance between the unpracticed ideas of the prtégés, in combination with the expertise of our well-experienced employees.”

By re-igniting the generations that will carry RSV into the next mining era, the company will be revolutionised, and a new RSV brand established - “the new generation company”.

Even the mining industry, which is relatively conservative in terms of change, requires adaptation to meet the new demands of a growing, technically driven business world.

In acknowledgment of this, the company is cultivating its “idea factory” – which has a greater grasp of the rapidly expanding technological growth areas – such as information systems, business processes, engineering designs and improved project management.

Read intends to maintain the company’s competitive edge by encompassing novel designs and methodologies in its projects, adding that the ‘idea factory generators’ do not see road blocks, but are always determined to find solutions.

It is these ideas, when guided and modified by industry experience, that lead to improved efficiencies and management processes, economical and functional solutions, improved safety, as well as greater speed in project construction.

“While RSV is dedicating a large portion of its overall focus to developing this principle throughout all 16 of its linked enterprise businesses, it has already achieved success, where experience and information is shared and spread between its age groups, leading it in the direction of ceiling-breaking heights of the future business environment,” Read reveals.

Currently, about 15% of its total workforce comprises ‘under 40s’. The intention however is to increase this to between 25% and 30%.

In line with the comprehensive aspiration for delivering a new RSV generation, the company continues to establish new linked enterprises in which dedication to various sectors within the mining industry can be refined, focused and specialised in.

Following the success of two of its more recent linked enterprises, K’Enyuka – a black empowered engineering and project management group, specialising in hydro-pyro metallurgical and mineral processing – as well as RSV Enco – specialists in the coal and energy markets, the company will continue to establish new businesses.

Last month saw the re-institution of one of its dormant linked enterprises, RSV (SA) (16th linked enterprise).

“This enterprise will be fully aligned to the government’s requirements for black empowered companies, and will specialise in mining “stay-in-business” projects, mine employee welfare infrastructure such as hostels, schools, clinics, etc. and general municipal and industrial infrastructure markets” Read identifies.

RSV (SA) will comply fully with the BEE scorecard – starting on Level 4 – and will also aid in empowering small local businesses.

RSV will provide financial support and guidance until the company is capable of supporting itself – which is the standard business model for the establishment of all of its linked enterprises.

Also in the pipeline is the creation of an 17th linked enterprise – which will be designed to meet the development needs of mining projects in Africa.

A family-friendly organisation
Says Read: “RSV is a truly family-friendly organisation whose very existence depends on the development of its people. Today’s knowledge economy requires significant investment in human capital and the creation of a work environment in which employees and families, can manage the demands of both work and family so that they can excel at their jobs. This is because most sources of an organisation’s competitive advantage – such as – specialist knowledge development, client service and management of operations – are rooted in people”.