Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA), through its School of Consulting Engineering (SCE), has officially opened enrolments for the 2027 intake of its flagship Business of Consulting Engineering Management Development Programme (BCE MDP).

Following what CESA describes as its most competitive intake yet in 2026, the organisation is urging member firms to secure places early for the coming year, as demand for structured, industry-built leadership training continues to outstrip supply.

“We have watched this programme evolve over more than a decade into the benchmark for leadership development in our sector, and the appetite from firms and young professionals alike tells us we are addressing a real and growing need,” says CESA CEO Chris Campbell.

“South Africa cannot fast-track infrastructure delivery, address our maintenance backlog, or grow the economy on technical skill alone. We need engineers who understand business, who understand risk, who understand people and who are ready to lead. That is precisely what the BCE MDP is designed to build.”

The BCE MDP is a nine-month, hybrid programme that provides technically excellent engineering practitioners and other built environment practitioners  with the non-technical skills that managing and leading a consulting engineering business effectively and efficiently, requires. Knowledge and skills which companies consistently say, are in short supply: project delivery, legal and contract law, business and project finance, risk, entrepreneurship and leadership.

The curriculum spans more than 60 subjects, delivered by seasoned industry practitioners rather than generic business-school faculty and entry is deliberately capped at no more than 30 students annually, to preserve the quality of mentorship and peer engagement that has become the programme's hallmark.

“The modern consulting engineering industry extends well beyond technical expertise,” Campbell adds. “Automation and AI can rapidly transform and in some instances commoditise, technical processes that were once the exclusive domain of highly trained engineers, though we would always encourage that such processes never be left entirely to those tools in the absence of experienced human oversight. The engineers who will lead our industry through that shift are the ones who understand the business behind the design. That is exactly who the BCE MDP is suited for.”

Enrolments Now Open

Given the sustained demand of recent intakes, CESA is encouraging interested companies in the public and private sectors to nominate candidates for the 2027 BCE MDP as early as possible. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to candidates who meet entry requirements. Companies are also encouraged to consider the programme as part of their structured Skills Development and B-BBEE Supplier Development commitments.

“We would rather have companies come to us early and secure a place for a deserving young professional than miss out because they waited,” says Campbell. “Our 2026 intake filled ahead of schedule. On current interest, we expect 2027 to do the same.”