ABOUT US: TRANSFORMATION
An empowered company
Traditionally Consultin Engineering companies such as UWP Consulting have been owned and managed by professional engineers and technologists. Given the much lamented scarcity of black and women engineers and technologists, sustainable transformation in the traditional manner presents a substantial and complex challenge to the industry at large.
UWP Consulting's stated objective is to ultimately best reflect the demographics of our country in terms of its staff complement but also to foster the growth of additional engineering capacity in the South African engineering fraternity at large.
Despite the challenges the company faces, UWP has made significant strides and is currently a Level 4 Contributor which attracts 100% BBBEE recogniThe stated objective and commitment of UWP Consulting is to ultimately best reflect the demographics of our country. A further facet of our strategy is to contribute towards the creation of an enabling environment for the transformation process through the fostering of additional engineering capacity in the South African engineering fraternity at large.
Traditionally consulting engineering companies such as UWP Consulting have been owned and managed by professional engineers and technologists. Given the much lamented scarcity of such engineers and technologists from the PDI and HDI groupings, sustainable transformation in the traditional manner presents a substantial and complex challenge.
In view of the foregoing, UWP Consulting is pursuing a multi-pronged approach to transforming itself and its environment.
Ownership
Realising the difficulty of achieving high levels of black and women ownership form professional engineers and technologists, UWP entered into an agreement with Contralesa Investment Holdings in November 2004 for the purchase of just over 25% of the company's shares.
The 30% plus black ownership of UWP is made up of this investment and through shares owned by black directors within the company.
The company remains committed and dedicated to increasing this black shareholding.
Management
Of the 12 members of the board of directors of UWP, four (33%) are black, and two (16%) are black woman.
Preferential Procurement
UWP has an active and effective Preferential Procurement policy which significantly rewards black empowered enterprises in the manner in which the company selects partners and service providers. Recently audited figures indicate that the BEE procurement spend from all suppliers based on the BEE procurement recognition levels as a percentage of total measured procurement spend is over 77%. Over 31% of funds spent on service providers is with companies which are more than 50% black owned.
UWP's performance in this area far exceeds the requirements of the Construction Industry Charter.
Employment Equity
Since 2002 UWP has adopted a formal Affirmative Action policy with measures to facilitate the advancement of previosly disadvantaged persons within the company. Management consults regularly with staff to set goals and targets in this area and progress in the implementation of its Employment Equity plan is closely monitored by the board of directors.
Skills development
The Company's Training and Skills Development Policy integrates staff training with performance and is based upon the following 8 core components:
- Induction training;
- Mentoring;
- Coaching;
- Bursary support for undergraduate and post-grauduate qualifications;
- Attendance at informed workshops and conferences;
- On the job training;
- In house workshops; and
- Continued Professional Development (CPD).
In 2010, UWP awarded 17 bursaries to both external and internal bursars studying within the civil engineering field
The company also rewards exceptional students at all major universities across the country with prizes in consulatation with these universities.
The most recent initiative added to this strategy is the introduction of a new mentoring programme for young professionals. With the guidance of an external consultant Camino Consulting, the programme has been functioning very satisfactorily since the beginning of 2008. In 2008 UWP is supporting 14 students at universities and technicons throughout SA.
Commercial Relationships and Procurement
UWP has engaged in a process of assessing the ownership and management profile of its support organizations and suppliers such as surveyors, materials testing laboratories, auditors and the suppliers of office equipment and stationery, with a view to affording opportunities to such organizations which are owned by black South Africans to become our preferred service providers.
Capacity Building
Since 1990 UWP Consulting has been closely linked with capacity building projects in Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Limpopo, and Free State. UWP have also worked in association with a large number of emerging consultants on various projects, and have contributed to their capacity building.