ERM is seeking graduates who are interested in pursuing post-graduate studies with Registered Institutions of Higher Education. We are able to offer you an incredibly vast array of opportunities simply because our scope of work is so extensive. If you are pursuing studies in the environment, earth or natural sciences, in some of the engineering fields, in economics or the social sciences, then there may be an opportunity for you to work with us!
ERM Southern Africa continues to foster transformation. Our industry requires a high caliber of professionals from a multicultural background, so we continually seek ways to nurture and develop talent. All students with the appropriate undergraduate degree aiming to further their studies in the relevant disciplines may apply.
As part of the selection criteria, students are required to choose one essay topic from the below listed options:
Topic 1:
Sustainable Remediation
Describe your understanding of Sustainable Remediation and why is it necessary to consider. Expand on different sustainable management practices (SMPs) used in sustainable remediation. What would be potential roadblocks to implementing sustainable remediation and which strategies would you as a consultant use to advocate for sustainable remediation solutions to the industry who has contracted you.
Topic 2:
Contaminated Site Investigation
You are investigating a commercial site that is suspected to have contaminated groundwater as a result of a petrol spill. Detail your investigation approach, i.e. describe what fieldwork techniques you may use, the methodology of your investigation as well selection of your analytical suites and provide your rationale. During your investigation, you discover that a residential property in the vicinity of the site has installed a borehole to abstract and use groundwater. How would this information influence your investigation, what additional aspects would you need to consider safeguarding the borehole users from a risk perspective.
Topic 3:
Emerging Contaminants:
Emerging contaminants are increasingly recognized as a major environmental issue due to their persistence and potential human health risks. Within the African context, what emerging contaminant do you believe, could pose significant future liabilities to industry? Discuss the challenges with assessing, detecting, quantifying, regulating and managing risks associated with the emerging contaminant. Your essay could be supported by referencing applicable international case studies.
Topic 4:
Technical water
Your client operates an opencast mine. At the mine there are different sources of impacts on the surrounding groundwater and surface water resources, including dewatering of the mine as well as pollution from surface infrastructure such as the tailings dam. You are asked to, as part of their water management strategy, identify areas where water management can be improved in order to strengthen their water stewardship program which aims to have a net-zero impact on the wider catchment within which they operate. Please discuss what aspects you would look at and provide suggestions on practical interventions they can implement to reduce their impact on the catchment.
Topic 5:
Water and nature
Valuing nature as an asset, not solely a resource, is crucial to business sustainability. The dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss pose accelerated exposure to material risks. Proactively addressing these risks brings opportunity and innovation to your business and communities.
Which aspects of a client’s corporate strategy, business processes, governance arrangements and license to operate may impact their ability to effectively account for nature and water risks and to identify value creation opportunities throughout its value chain, and how can they go about addressing these aspects and identifying these opportunities?
Topic 6:
Contaminated land
You have an active contamination source, an unlined effluent storage dam (20+ years in operation) containing high inorganic salt loads impacting groundwater and a nearby stream (west of the dam) via seepage. Consider the dam to be underlain by weathered clay material and surrounded by alluvium to the west and underlain by weathered Karoo sediments. There are currently no seepage impact mitigation measures.
The regulator has noted this impact (high inorganic salt loads) in your client’s most recent groundwater and surface monitoring reports submitted as part of their water use license requirements, and have instructed your client to investigate, quantify and mitigate the potential impacts on the water resources.
Your client has indicated that this impact has been present for many years and that there has been and still is a lack of funding for the implementation of a physical solution. How would you go about addressing the regulator’s instruction taking your client’s limitations into account, i.e. what other solutions (technical, engineering, scientific, regulatory etc.) could be considered?
Consider both cases:
a) your investigation shows that there is no significant impact or risk to the water resource based on your proposed solution(s), criteria etc;
b) your investigation shows that there is significant impact to the water resource based on your analysis, criteria etc.
Topic 7
Mining closure and social economic development
Kathu is a town in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province. The town is adjacent to the Sishen Iron Ore Mine, one of the world’s largest open cast mining operations. Kathu and its people are almost entirely reliant on mining activity for their livelihoods. Through conducting your own research, analyse the potential impacts of mine closure on the town of Kathu. Then, propose some practical suggestions for the creation of non-mining, alternative economic opportunities in the area surrounding Kathu.
Topic 8
Stakeholder engagement and public consultation in SA
Conflict and community resistance pose a significant threat to major capital projects in South Africa. Analyse the kinds of issues community resistance can cause for a project, and discuss practical strategies for how stakeholder engagement and public consultation strategies can be leveraged to create consensus and community buy-in.
SSO
Topic 9
Psychological Safety in the Workplace. Explain why is it is so important?
Topic 10
The role of AI in monitoring safety performance.
Topic 11
"The role of environmental, social and governance (ESG) in shaping corporate accountability: Evaluating the impact of ESG reporting on long-term business performance and stakeholder trust."
Explore how ESG reporting influences corporate governance, financial performance, and stakeholder engagement, and assess the potential trade-offs between short-term profits and long-term sustainability.
Topic 12
"Climate change adaptation and mitigation in developing countries: balancing economic growth and environmental sustainability"
Analyse the challenges and opportunities for developing nations in implementing climate adaptation and mitigation strategies while promoting sustainable economic growth, with case studies from Africa.
Topic 13
"The financial sector's role in driving sustainable development: a critical analysis of green finance mechanisms and their effectiveness in achieving global climate goals"
Investigate the impact of green bonds, sustainable finance taxonomies, and climate risk disclosures on mobilising capital for sustainable development and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Topic 14
"Agricultural sustainability and climate resilience: assessing the role of technology and policy in promoting sustainable farming practices in the face of climate change"
Evaluate how technological innovations (e.g., precision agriculture, climate-smart farming) and policy interventions can enhance agricultural sustainability, reduce environmental impact, and improve climate resilience.
Additional Application Documents
By providing these details and entering into this programme you consent to the use of your personal data as stipulated in the ERM Data Privacy Notice (https://www.erm.com/privacy/). The following PDF document attachments are required to be considered for selection:
Your CVCertified copy of your IDYour latest results and academic transcriptA completed essay (with a maximum of 3, 000 words) with the Plagiarism Declaration included on the cover page (see below)
NB: Not including any of the above documents will be an automatic disqualification from the application process. You can add these documents to the Resume/CV section of the job application.
Applications and essays will be reviewed by our Service experts and candidates will be short listed based on their academic performance, essay writing skills, as well as the chosen area of study.
ERM has limited places available in our Bursary Programme, so apply now!
Successful candidates will enter into a contract with ERM Southern Africa, and the contract will be reviewed quarterly in line with the student’s academic performance. If successful, the applicant will be notified by ERM on the success of their application.
Please note that this bursary opportunity is open only to unemployed South African graduates who are looking to further their studies.
Closing date for applications: Friday, 29 November 2024
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On the 1st page of your essay, please include and sign and date the below Plagiarism Declaration:
I know that plagiarism is wrong. Plagiarism is to use another’s work and pretend it is one’s own.
Each significant contribution to, and quotation in this essay that I have taken from the work(s) of other people has been attributed and has been cited and referenced.
I have used the Harvard (or Author-date or APA) system for citation and referencing.
This essay is my own work and I have not copied any other text.
I have not allowed and will not allow anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as his or her own work.
Signed: Date of Submission:
Candidates will be disqualified from selection if it is found that their submission is plagiarized. Plagiarism found subsequently to awarding the bursary may result in the bursary being withdrawn and the bursary awarded to date to be repaid.