Crafting the future in Mechanical Engineering
Dec 18, 2023
Sometimes the career path is clear from childhood, and this was also the case for Ndivho Maanda, who joined our SEMEA Trainee Program in September 2023. What inspired Ndivho to study mechanical engineering, and how has the trainee journey been so far? Let’s find out!
Ndivho Maanda joined Valmet's SEMEA Trainee Program in September 2023.
Who are you and what is your background?
“Hi, my name is Ndivho, and I wanted to share my experience as one of the Valmet SEMEA Trainee Program participants. I became interested in studying mechanical engineering from an early age as I was drawn to the designing, creation of machinery, and the diverse opportunities that allows one to venture into various fields. I then decided to further my studies in Mechanical Engineering at Mangosuthu University of Technology in South Africa.”
What made you apply to Valmet’s SEMEA Trainee Program?
“I came across the post on LinkedIn and at first, I did not know how the title correlates with my educational background and I did my research on Valmet and the SEMEA Trainee program. I came across a few posts from different participants who also got an opportunity to partake in this program and I was impressed by what they shared, and I decided to apply and be part of this great once in a lifetime opportunity.”
What do your trainee days look like?
“I am currently working as a Services and Sale trainee at Valmet in Durban, South Africa. Currently, I am working with the services team, and they have made adapting to the new workplace easier.
I have been familiarizing myself with the different types of valves Valmet offers, and I am lucky enough to be part of a wonderful team that has been teaching me all there is to know about valves, how to strip, assemble them and how to do fault finding. This has allowed me to relate what I learnt during my theoretical studies into practice.”
What kind of experience has the trainee program been so far?
"I started the trainee program in September 2023 and the experience has been amazing thus far and the program itself consists of a diverse group with different educational backgrounds. The trainee program has been far than what I had anticipated, we have monthly coffee breaks where we get to engage with other trainees from various parts of the world. I am grateful for the opportunity to be working for Valmet and from the little experience I have so far this is going to be an overall amazing experience and I am hoping to acquire as much knowledge as I can and be able to grow in my professional career.”
SEMEA Trainee Program offers students and fresh graduates a great opportunity to kickstart their careers in Valmet’s Service Operations and Sales within the Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa area.