Schneider Electric

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is a French multinational that specialises in energy management and industrial automation. It works in more than 100 countries and serves homes, buildings, data centres, industry and infrastructure. In South Africa, its operations are based in Midrand, Gauteng.

The company needs a steady supply of engineers and technical specialists. For that reason, it runs a bursary programme for local university students. Schneider Electric administers the bursary itself through its own careers portal. It does not hand the process to a third-party fund.

How Schneider Electric supports students

The Schneider Electric Bursary is an academic merit award for students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and automation fields. Recent calls were open to full-time undergraduates in their first, second or third year at accredited South African institutions.

Funding in recent rounds covered registration and tuition fees. It also included university residence, or private accommodation up to a set limit, plus a meal allowance and textbooks. Beyond money, students have been offered mentorship, career workshops and training sessions. Vacation work and networking opportunities have also featured.

Bursary holders may also benefit from the company's training academy in Midrand. Training there gives them early exposure to energy and automation technology. In addition, Schneider Electric has a long partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand, including an automation student award that offers training courses at the academy.

The company also runs a wider Students and Young Professionals programme. It includes internships and a global sustainability challenge called the Go Green competition, where students design energy solutions for real communities.

What to know before applying

Recent adverts asked for South African citizenship, matric marks of about 70% for Mathematics and Physics, and about 60% for English. Applicants had to be studying full time. Requirements can shift between intakes, so read the current advert carefully.

Applications normally open late in the year and close in January or early in the new year, according to past cycles. You apply online and attach certified copies of your ID and academic results. Keep your documents ready before the portal opens.

Whether a work-back period applies is not confirmed in the sources reviewed. Check the official advert on the Schneider Electric careers site for the exact terms before you accept any offer.

The fields behind this bursary are growing in importance. South Africa is working to add electricity capacity, improve energy efficiency and bring more automation into factories and mines. Schneider Electric sells products and services in exactly these areas, so graduates in electrical, mechanical, mechatronic and software-related fields can find a clear career path. Students who want to understand the work before they apply can read about the company on its South African website.