Eskom launches online database for skilled experts who can help fight load-shedding

Eskom officially launched a skills crowdsourcing platform on its website on Tuesday, calling on qualified and experienced power generation individuals to make themselves available to help rebuild the organisation’s skills.

The launch follows Eskom’s call for submissions from suitable candidates who wanted to help the utility resolve its “urgent business needs”, including addressing operational deficiencies that have exacerbated load-shedding.

The utility has been accepting offers from organisations and individuals via a dedicated email address manned by the offices of Eskom human resources head Elsie Pule.

At the time of its initial call for interested experts to come forward, Eskom said it would take the efforts online to provide an equitable opportunity for all those willing to be considered for service.

The platform can be accessed on a desktop or mobile browser.

Eskom said it aims to simplify the process by enabling highly skilled and experienced people to submit their details directly to the crowdsourcing database.

“Crowdsourcing differs from recruitment in that it is triggered by specific technical challenges, is not linked to a permanent position, and it targets a talent pool that consists of highly skilled and experienced persons,” Eskom said.

Eskom provided the following list of criteria for those who wished to submit themselves for consideration:

• Be a highly skilled electricity generation expert or technical professional (e.g. engineer, power plant operator/controller, artisan, technician)
• Have more than ten years of related experience
• Be able and willing to support Eskom
• Be willing to transfer skills and expertise

The utility also said it has already received an overwhelming response, with its database now including 238 individuals.

Of these applicants, 153 had been shortlisted as potentially active, skilled, and willing candidates.

Eskom said approximately 25 of these individuals had been selected for the first phase of the crowdsourcing intake and would commence work between November and December 2022.

“Additional recruitment will take place as and when required by the business, to meet specific technical needs,” Eskom stated.

“To ensure sustainability and to maximise the impact of these skills, each crowdsourced individual is required to transfer skills to the permanent Eskom team that they will work with.”

The crowdsourcing effort was sparked by comments from public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan earlier this year, who decried a lack of skills at the utility as one of the major contributors to its operational problems.

Eskom executives like chief operational officer Jan Oberholzer had also acknowledged an exodus of skills was causing problems, particularly at its Koeberg nuclear power station.

This led to trade union Solidarity again offering Eskom and the government a list of individuals with applicable skills and qualifications to assist.

In July 2022, Gordhan accepted the offer, after which Solidarity trimmed its list down to roughly 300 engineers, technicians, and other skilled workers, which it described as the best “turnaround agents” for the task.

It submitted this list to Eskom and the Department of Public Enterprises in early August 2022.

In September 2022, Rapport reported that 18 of the people on the list had been appointed by the utility.

The screenshot below shows some of the areas of expertise Eskom is interested in, according to the online crowdsourcing application page.

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