Navy losing engineers to African oilfields, but training more.(News)

BYLINE: VUSUMUZI KA NZAPHEZA

THE SA Navy is losing engineers to the lucrative oil industries of Angola and Nigeria where they work on oil rigs.

Navy chief Johannes Mudimu said yesterday that engineers, trained at huge cost, were also leaving for the public and private sectors.

Mudimu, however, denied that this had left the navy with a critical shortage of skills.

"We train 650 recruits every year and many others are sponsored to study engineering at the University of Stellenbosch and Cape Peninsula University of Technology," he said.

"Scarce skills are in demand and we are aware of our members who have attained employment both in …