28, September 2026
Stefan Lauber
iFundi CEO Stefan Lauber has shared his perspective in Engineering News on a question facing South Africa’s engineering sector: how can companies adopt AI without weakening the development of future engineers?
In the article, Stefan argues that AI can support engineering work, but junior engineers still need practical experience and guidance from senior colleagues to develop sound judgement. If businesses remove the tasks that help people learn, they risk making an existing skills shortage harder to solve.
His message for employers is to introduce AI alongside hands-on learning and senior oversight, so that productivity gains also help build the next generation of engineering talent.
Stefan Lauber
CEO and Founder of iFundi
Stefan Lauber is the CEO and founder of iFundi, a South African education and career-development provider established in 2000. iFundi combines facilitator-led learning, workplace application and AI-enabled support to help individuals and organisations build future-ready capabilities. iFundi has supported more than 20,000 graduates and worked with over 200 employer partners.