Eskom Expo for Young Scientists

Career Planning.
Start with curiosity.

The questions you ask today could shape the work you do tomorrow. Explore your possibilities in science, engineering and technology.

Explore the resources

Where would you like to start?

01Find my directionUnderstand your interests and strengths02Explore SET careersDiscover where your curiosity can take you03See the pathwaysLearn about professional registration
Resources for your next stepLearners & studentsTeachers & career practitionersAspiring professionals

Discover what is possible

Science, Engineering and Technology Career Resources

The National Research Foundation (NRF)–South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA) offers educational and career guidance resources to help learners, teachers and aspiring professionals explore opportunities in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET).

These guides bring together career information, practical planning activities and pathways to professional registration. Eskom Expo encourages learners and educators to use them to make informed study choices and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators.

Explore · Reflect · Plan

A good place to begin.

Start with your interests, discover the possibilities, then put your next steps on paper.

Know yourself
16 pages · PDF

Self-Help Guide

Explore your interests and turn your ideas into a practical study and career plan.

  • Complete a self-assessment
  • Research and compare three careers
  • Build a finance and action plan
Open the self-help guide
Explore possibilities
Edition 3 · 217 pages · PDF

SET Careers Publication

Discover careers in science, engineering and technology through study pathways, role models and real-world stories.

  • Explore seven fields of science
  • Discover more than 70 careers
  • Find out about postgraduate study
Open the careers publication
Guide the conversation
20 pages · PDF

SET Resources Manual

A practical guide for teachers and career practitioners delivering career planning for the sciences.

  • Support Life Orientation lessons
  • Plan career guidance workshops
  • Use the resources with learners
Open the resources manual

All five resources are PDFs. Each opens in a new tab, where you can read it, save a copy or print it.

Understand the pathways

From study to profession.

Explore how qualifications and professional registration connect through these two A3 reference posters.

Engineering · ECSA
A3 poster · 1 page · PDF

Becoming a Registered Engineer

Explore the engineering study and registration pathways shown in the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) poster.

Open the engineering poster
Natural sciences · SACNASP
A3 poster · 1 page · PDF

Registering as a Natural Scientist

Explore qualification and experience pathways shown in the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP) poster.

Open the natural sciences poster
Use these posters as a starting point. Check current qualification recognition and registration requirements directly with ECSA or SACNASP before making study or registration decisions.

Make it personal

Your next step starts with you.

You do not need to have your whole future figured out. Use the Self-Help Guide to work through one decision at a time.

  1. Discover your interests

    Think about the subjects, activities and questions that capture your attention. Complete the guide’s self-assessment.

  2. Compare three careers

    Explore what people do, what they study and which pathways could suit your interests and goals.

  3. Write your action plan

    Identify your study goals, explore funding options and decide what you will do next, with support from a teacher or adviser.

Start with the Self-Help Guide

Teachers: open up the conversation.

Bring these resources into Life Orientation lessons, career guidance sessions and science clubs. Help learners connect what they enjoy today with what they could do tomorrow.

Explore the teaching manual

Resource acknowledgement: Career resources shared through NRF-SAASTA. The supplied SET Careers Publication and Self-Help Guide identify the Department of Science and Innovation as the originating initiative; the manual and posters credit Pace Career Centre. Original credits remain in the PDFs.