industry news - SAPA

TRAINING
“you will never get a job because you will be overqualified”; or
decide they can live on meagre scholarship funding for another
4 years, they can pursue a Doctorate. This is also assuming they
don't receive a brilliant job offer and are up to a lot of very
challenging work. Sometimes the views some people have
about PhD graduates reminds me of the ancient Romans –
whose bogey-men were the Gauls. Well, for many, a PhD
graduate is that – a Gaul. I think these misconceptions are due
to the fact that there are so few PhD graduates, especially in our
industry. And because of that, people do not really know what to
expect (or what to do) with someone holding this kind of
qualification.
“Beyond having large knowledge about a very
specific research problem and all the “hard” scientific
skills which they gather during the duration of their
degree, what comes with the process is that intellectual
independence and maturity”
On the other hand, the government and the Department of
Higher Education and Training are placing tremendous pressure
on Higher Education institutions to recruit and graduate more
Doctorates. The reason for doing this is because research and
development are essential to the country's future growth. For
South Africa to become a knowledge economy, it is essential
that we have PhD graduates in all fields (and our industry is not
an exception). This will allow the country to compete with
developed countries and to become independent in terms of
knowledge generation – to stop relying on others to create
knowledge. Local solutions to local problems may give us an
added advantage as companies compete in a global market.
A PhD programme is intensive and requires a large degree of
self-reliance, self-motivation and passion. During this time, the
38 | MARCH 2011 PLUIMVEE POULTRY BULLETIN
student will become intimately involved with the topic of his or
her research. But beyond having large knowledge about a very
specific research problem and all the “hard” scientific skills which
they gather during the duration of their degree, what comes with
the process is that intellectual independence and maturity. PhD
graduates very quickly can adapt and fit into a working position
which is not directly related with their subject of research. It is
because of the skills developed during the degree that these
people can evaluate and resolve problems from very different
angles. They are independent thinkers and, in most cases, very
innovative and capable of creating new ways of doing business.
Recruiting a PhD just out of University, without any work
experience, may also require some sort of short-term
preparation or mentoring. But these are highly adaptable people
who are sure to hit the floor running.
With the critical shortage of skilled people in our industry, it has
been increasingly more difficult to recruit PhD candidates. If we
consider that only a small proportion of matriculants can actually
access University, and from these, an even smaller proportion
continue with postgraduate degrees, our industry is at risk of
falling behind in terms of knowledge independence. It is true that
we are highly integrated and interlinked with foreign companies
and that most of the technology and developments are imported
through these liaisons. However, we also know that on the
ground, people want to see locally-generated knowledge. We
are grateful for the support that the industry gives us, to be able
to assist us in producing the much needed skilled people to
enter the working world. Our commitment is to strive for
excellence in training and in the creation of knowledge in South
Africa.
The above article is a collaborative contribution by Dr Mariana
Ciacciariello and Dr Nicky Tyler, who are part of the Poultry
Team at UKZN, together with Emeritus Professor Rob Gous. Dr
Ciacciariello focuses in poultry nutrition and management with
special interest in broiler breeder hens; while Dr Tyler focuses in
poultry reproduction, with special interest in male management
and performance.