Grant has over 27 years of experience in various fields in the building industry, including architectural, reinforced concrete, structural steel, timber, and masonry work. He has worked in roles such as draughtsman, CAD operator, structural draughtsman, and diamond marker. Currently, he freelances on construction projects and explores his creative side through art.

1. Grant MANSEL-JAMES'S SHORT LIFE DESCRIPTION
Thank you for reading my application
I have 27 years experience in varied fields of the building industry, from residential
to large scale industry. I have preformed tasks across most of the disciplines in the
engineering industry, from architectural, reinforced concrete, structural steel (both
GA's and shop drawings), to timber and masonry work. I have translated a lot of what
I have put down on paper to site supervision. Which involved site inspections, site
reporting, advising both clients and contractors alike on the practical solutions to
problems on site as they arose.
I am passionate about what I do and put my heart and soul into getting the work done
correctly, making sure that all parties concerned get more than what is just expected
I will be an asset for your company and it's respective clients.
Thank you
ADDRESS:2 Willow Way
Waterfall Estates
Johannesburg
Gauteng
CELL.: 0610857528
DATE OF BIRTH: 1968-05-07
IDENTITY NUMBER: 68050755204087
EDUCATION
HIGHEST SHOOL LEVEL: MATRIC (grade 12)
SUBJECTS: ENGLISH, AFRIKAANS, AND MATHS
SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY, INDUSTRIAL ARTS
YEAR MARICULATED: 1986

2. SCHOOL ATTENDED: ROOSEVELT HIGH
TERTIARY EDUCATION
INSTITUTION: ROODEPOORT TECHNICAL COLLEGE
SUBJECTS: MATHS N3, MECHANO TECHNICS N4
INSTITUTION: TECHNISA SOUTH AFRICA
SUBJECTS: BUILDING AND STRUCTURAL CONSTRUCTION
N4-N5
STRENGTH OF MATERIALS N5
MECHANO TECHNICS N4
RADIO AND TV THEORY N2
INSTITUTION: DAMLIN TECHNICAL CAMPUS
SUBJECTS: CERTIFICATE IN ELECTRONICS (light
current)
LONDON ART COLLEGE: DIPLOMA IN GRAPHIC ART
PENN FOSTER CAREER SCHOOL: Cartooning Certificate
EXPERT RATING: European Art Appreciation, Drawing Expert
Level
MASTER PIECE ONLINE: PORTFILIO PROJECT MENTORING
UDEMY: FIGURE DRAWING FROM LIFE USING THE REILLY
TECHNIQUE
TRAINING CONNECTION: NETWORKING ESSENTIALS
WINDOWS NT4 ADMINISTRATION
CORE TECHNOLOGIES
SERVER IN THE ENTERPRISE
ADDITIONAL COURSES
CAD (AUTOCADD): DEVILLIERS AND Asc.
ALLEY CAD:ALISON LAWLESS'es OFFICES
RADIO AND TV THEORY N2
ELECTRONICS N3 (DAMELIN COLLEGE)
COURSE ON INTERIOR DECORATING
ART CLASSES ON AN ONGOING BASIS
Military
Two Years with the National Defense force as signal operator
(compulsory!)
ps ( Had my back broken in three places, told I would never walk
again by the army. I currently walk 5-10km's three times a week.)

3. WORK EXPERIENCE
TRAINEE DRAUGHTSMAN: McKENNZIE CAIRNS & BOTMA
PERIOD: Feb.1989 to Dec.1989
(completed N3 maths, started building and structural contr. N4.
Spent most of time between printing drawings and delivering
documents not enough time behind the drawing board)
DRAUGHTSMAN/CAD OPERATOR:VV DeOLIVERIERA & Assc.
PERIOD: Feb. 1990-July 1991
(completed ALLYCAD course, carried on with building and
structural constr., started learning N2 radio and TV theory. The
work involved residential and commercial engineering projects. On
site inspection and measurements, soil investigations, preparing
and presenting working drawings and schedules)
DRAUGHTSMAN:MUNDAY Assc.
PERIOD: Aug. 1991-Sep. 1992
(The work involved residential and commercial engineering
projects. On site inspection and measurements, soil
investigations, preparing and presenting working drawings and
schedules)
(Was let go due to financial concerns.)
DRAUGHTSMAN/CADD OPERATOR:CONTRACT SEATING
PERIOD: Aug. 1992-May 1993
(Preparing schematics for seating layouts for auditoriums, grand
stands,churches etc. Preparing assembly drawings for the
workshop. Included steel, plastic and woodwork drawings.
Preparing layout drawings for on site assembly. Continued with my
N5 building and structural constr. Completed N4 mechano
techiques)
(Left when I felt I needed to experience more varied work)
STRUCTURAL DRAUGHTSMAN: Carlise and Assc.
PERIOD: June 1993-June 1994
(Preparing structural drawings for various projects that included

4. retail shopping centers in Kyalami, revamping of hospitals in
Constantia Roodepoort. The work was mainly general building
layouts that included masonry, concrete and steel layouts. Most
of the work I did was reinforcement layouts for insitu concrete
slabs columns and foundations.)
I was asked to leave when the company experienced a drop in
work demand. Last in first to let go principal.
STRUCTURAL DRAUGHTSMAN:TRANSDECO GTmH
PERIOD: June 1994-July 1996
(preparing working and schematic drawings for power lines linking
to the Escom electrical grid. Preparing steel and reinforcing
schedules for individual pylon types and respective soil conditions.
Preparing “placement” drawings for individual pylons along a
“power” line)
Was let go when GtmH joined the company
STRUCTURAL DRAUGHTSMAN:TEMBA
PERIOD: Feb-Sep1997
(Mid. To large industrial engineering contracts across sub Sahara
Africa, lot of work in Angola. Working drawings for steel
structures and concrete reinforcements)
(Left when I felt I needed to experience more varied work)
STRUCTURAL DRAUGHTSMAN/CADD WORK:PRECISSION SLABS
PERIOD: Aug.1998- Feb.2000
(The work involved residential and commercial engineering
projects. On site inspection and measurements, soil
investigations, preparing and presenting working drawings and
schedules. All for the precast rib and block slab systems. Helped
develop long span, over 10m, slabs for commercial projects)
(Left when I felt I needed to experience more varied work)
DIAMOND MARKER:VANCUT DIAMOND WORKS
PERIOD: 2000-2010
(Design of brilliant cut stones from the rough, started working on

5. three and four grainers, progressed to marking finished stones
5ct big. The largest stone I worked on ended up 101ct IF white
shield stone. The work involved finding the correct polished stone
in the rough, placing a saw line on the stone, by hand. That line
had to be perfectly straight and infinitely thin. Then used to help
and advise the craftsman polish the stone to its full polished
potential.)
(Due to the “Kimberly protocol” it became very expensive to
source enough diamonds to feed the company (+/- 500
employees). Large scale retrenchments followed.)
STRUCTURAL DRAUGHTSMAN/CADD:- Thomson Van Eck
PERIOD:-2010-2013
(Was employed to help with the SAB Miller Lubango brewery in
Angola. I prepared both architectural and structural working
drawings for that brewery, some fifteen thousand square meters
under roof. SAB sold that brewery to the Angolan government
before construction could start. I was then assigned the Onitsha
brewery in Nigeria. It started out with the specifications of a
brewery under ten thousand square meters, with an estimated
cost of three point five billion US dollars. It ended up over
fifteen thousand square meters and a final building cost of over
five billion US dollars. The work involved both architectural and
structural drawings, both schematics for client approval and
finished working drawings, it involved a lot cross disciplinary
work, from architectural, structural (both steel and concrete),
mechanical (all the machines used by SAB) to electrical. I did the
architectural, helped with the rest including electrical.
(left when the company was re-structured, they did not need my
services any more)
CURRENT
I currently freelancing on various projects for contractors doing
new houses or alterations to existing residences on an on going
basis. I also am exploring my creative side with my art work. I
have a collection of work up on display around the world, ie
Brisbane, Auckland, Munich, Brussels, United Kingdom and of

6. course in various locations locally.
Hobbies and interests
Woodwork, wood turning, Painting, Drawing, Reading, metalwork,
coffee, electronics, DIY round the house. I also prepare and
produce house plans for clients who wish to improve or have a
home that they can say reflect their life style.