STEPPING OUT IN A MAN’S WORLD

Albie Langenhoven

Document controller, Albie Langenhoven still wears her high heels to the office, but when she needs to go on a Gautrain construction site, her small feet comfortably steps into a pair of safety boots and a hard hat firmly protects her head.

The construction industry remains a man’s world and the site office where Albie works is no exception. “I was used to working in fancy offices, but here things are different,” says Albie. A long distance container is converted into an office where heavy vehicles constantly pull in and out. It is noisy and dusty.

A few years ago, things were different. Albie was seated at the Gautrain project office in Linbro Park where she enjoyed the luxury of a beautiful and quiet office environment, complete with indoor plants, attractive office furniture and beautiful pictures on the wall. Just three years ago, Albie was employed as a personal assistant for a former Gautrain executive. She did not own a hard hat and she never took off her high heels at work.

When the executive left the company, Albie used the opportunity to broaden her skills and attended training to become a document controller. It involves receiving documents such as drawings from head office and ensuring that these are correctly filed and dispatched to those responsible for building structures. For example, currently there are 4 165 drawings and 1 435 reports on register. And that is only for the section of Gautrain’s route that is Albie’s responsibility, namely between Linbro Park and Centurion.

“I have learnt so much since being a document controller. Now I know all about U-shapes, drainage, method statements, field requests, piles, masts, retaining walls, culverts and viaducts,” says Albie. If anyone had asked Albie a few years ago what these were and what they looked like, she would have had to Google it. In fact, Albie has made such a success of her new career that she has already been offered a position in the construction industry for when her contract with Gautrain expires.

Albie received a certificate of documentation management after graduating from a course in 2008. She also attended an Excel and Advanced Excel computer programme course. “I was not used to studying and it was difficult to get back into it after so many years. I was very stressed because I had to get 80% in order to pass the course.”

According to Albie, she is no exception. Hundreds of others have received training on new skills while working for Gautrain which has opened new doors of opportunities in their careers.