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WITS University

GBCSA Academy: Shaping future green leaders with Wits University & GBCSA training

The GBCSA Academy has worked with the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Construction Economics and Management for the past five years, incorporating green building training into its courses.

So far in 2021, 38 students have achieved Professional Team Member Net Zero status, 43 students have qualified as EDGE Experts and 163 have achieved Green Star Existing Building Performance AP status. This marks a significant achievement for collaboration and skills development within the green building sector.

Associate Professor and Coordinator for Teaching & Learning & Digital Education in the School of Construction Economics and Management at Wits University, Obinna Ozumba, who oversees the Building Science stream of courses and the collaboration with GBCSA, shares his thoughts on the training partnership with the GBCSA Academy:

“I came in contact with the GBCSA many ‘moons’ ago, as a recently appointed lecturer in the School of Construction Economics and Management at Wits University. It was essentially inevitable, since my focus in terms of academic work, was building science, with a mandate to embed sustainability and systems thinking into this fundamental stream of courses. So, I needed to build more capacity and expand my scope.

After this initial contact, I made effort to transfer the knowledge into the courses I was overseeing. With time I realised that I needed to bring in more hands-on industry exposure into those courses. As such I contracted the GBCSA, through my school, to provide green building training to my students.

We have partnered for more than five years now, and the benefits have been remarkable. Students and staff have benefited from the presence of the GBCSA in our school. There is a notable shift in sustainability thinking within the school, which has resulted in the improvement of courses, more green-themed research interests and output, and the arrival of more postgraduate students interested in carrying out research in sustainable built environment focus areas.

Currently, I have a greater number of research students under my supervision, who are working in areas of the sustainable built environment. Many benefited from the GBCSA training and materials during their undergraduate years. I have seen students graduate from my classes into high-level positions, as a direct result of sustainability training they received in school.

Our Honours students have continued to perform exceptionally well in the Greenovate student research competition each year. It is a small wonder why we would continue our collaboration with the GBCSA. Primarily, it generates results. They demonstrate a lot of professionalism in conducting their affairs, which rubs off on students.

They are willing to sit down with you and fashion out training designs that will be a good fit for your student situation, all for a fee that is very sensitive to the economic circumstances of a learning institution. They provide support for students during training while maintaining firmness in the professional exposure provided.

The entire offering is student-centred in a way that not only teaches students the green theme but exposes them to the professionalism required. Therefore, our students look forward to GBCSA training each year and we continue to expand the offering in our school.”

Individual Membership

Designed for professionals acting in their individual capacity, including single consultant-businesses.

Organisational Membership

Ideal for companies, government departments, and organisations.

  • Total Employees: 1 - 5 Employees - R 4080.00
  • Total Employees: 6 - 20 Employees - R 12570.00
  • Total Employees: 21 - 50 Employees - R 24690.00
  • Total Employees: 51 Plus Employees - R 43840.00

Lisa Reynolds

Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

Lisa Reynolds is the CEO of the Green Building Council South Africa.

Lisa was the driver for the drafting of Energy Efficiency Standards and Regulations for Buildings and has been involved in Energy Efficiency since 2003. She serves on many committees in the SABS and within the energy management professionals’ space. She was President of the SAEEC from 2016 to 2019 and was the previous President of the ESCo (Energy Services Companies) Association. Lisa was instrumental in the formation of SAFEE (Southern African Females in Energy Efficiency) within SAEEC.

She has assisted the South African Government with its Green Building Framework policies, Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives and Energy Efficiency Strategies

Her passion for the “Green space” started with the birth of the Green Building Council in 2007. Lisa served on the Board and the Technical Committee of the GBCSA, as well as on several Technical Working Groups for Rating Tools and Criteria. Lisa. became CEO in June 2020.

Lisa has a BSc, an MBA and a CEM. Lisa’s awards include the 2007 ETA Award for Women, 2008 Individual Energy (SAEE), 2012 SABS Standards Writer Award; the 2014 Women in Energy (SAWIEN); and the 2016 Ian Lane Hall of Fame award.

Lisa is committed to growing the Green Economy within a Green Recovery.

Organisational categories

As an organisational member, you will fall into one of the below categories, and be charged according to specific size indicators. Please reach out to us for any further clarity on which category is best for your organisation

Property Developers

Annual Turnover

Investors, Owners, Property Managers

Total Asset Value

Major Corporate Tenants & Retail

Annual Gross Rentals

Building Contractors

Annual Turnover

Building Product Manufacturers & Distributors

Annual Turnover

Professional Services: Architects, Designers, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, PM’s, Consultants, Legal

Number of employees

Research, Higher Education, NGO’S & Regulators

NGO or Research/Higher Education/ Regulators

Related Interests: Utilities, Financial, Insurance, etc.

Annual Turnover

Government

Local/ municipal/ provincial/ state 
Contact GBCSA to confirm your category