SHOWING TRUE RESILIENCE AND STAYING POWER

Mkhanyisi Shabalala: Growing each and every day

Mkhanyisi joined the Facilities Operations department at the CTICC as an Electrical Graduate in July 2017, five years ago.

He confesses to not knowing much about the CTICC at the time.

He was also unsure how much experience he was going to get in terms of his chosen career – electrical engineering. But what he did know was that the CTICC is one of the biggest convention centres in the world.

Mentored by the CTICC’s existing and experienced electrical and maintenance staff, that concern soon vanished.

“I have been very fortunate to work with people that have a lot of experience in this field, and they always share their knowledge with me. I have learnt a lot from my seniors and everyone in the CTICC family.”

He soon grew from being a graduate to a technician and, finally, today, he is a qualified Junior Electrician, having passed his electrical trade test, which was sponsored by the CTICC, in August 2022. Even in his short time with the CTICC, he has seen changes.

For starters, CTICC 2 was not yet open when he arrived but it is now very much part of the complex with its more advanced technical systems. And as the events flow back into the CTICC’s halls, he sees himself growing here still further.

The past two years have been tough for the CTICC, he agrees, because of the restrictions on bringing people together, but he is grateful that his work remained essential, as the buildings still needed to be maintained.

He feels a lot has improved in his life, particularly his confidence levels, which are linked to the knowledge he has gained while at the CTICC.

Still, there have been challenges, not least his initial struggle to find his way around the venues!

Now, with the help of colleagues, he knows “almost every corner in the CTICC”.

He also acknowledges that our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities have taught him the value of caring, which is one of the CTICC’s core values.

We would like to think that caring extends to our staff and Mkhanyisi in particular.

Luckily, he seems to agree and has plans for us both:

“My goal is to be a Master Electrician one day and the CTICC has already shown me that they are willing to assist me where they can. Getting the electrical trade test was another step towards that goal and I’m hoping to walk with the CTICC throughout the entire journey.”

When asked if he could sum up his time at the CTICC, he responded:

“Growing each and every day.”

This is exactly what we hope for each of our employees – to keep improving and helping others do the same