Engineers Training is key in Industrialization

Last Updated 13 years ago by Kenya Engineer

The Engineering training theme has come out as a matter of big concern to stake holders in the Engineering fraternity. Various speakers at the ongoing Engineers International Conference emphasized the need for quality training in order to get ‘ready baked’ engineers.

Eng. Nzomo of Kenyatta University while presenting a paper on Engineering Education, Challenges and Opportunities at Kenyatta University, said that the university had fully complied with the requirements of Engineering training and was now working on capacity building to train more Engineers. In response to a question from the audience, Eng.Nzomo said that engineering students who had graduated before the university complied had been offered a chance to come back and cover the units that had been left out before being allowed to register as professional engineers. While responding to a question from the audience on the fate of students studying engineering in non-accredited universities, IEK chairman Eng. Riungu, wondered why some universities continued to offer engineering courses that have not been accredited. “The law, under the Engineers’ Act is very clear on requirements of a degree course. I don’t know what is going on in their (the universities) minds. I even don’t know why JAB (Joint Admissions Board)admits Engineering students in this universities when they know their engineering courses have not been accredited”, said Eng.Riungu. Eng.Riungu further decried the move by ‘certain individuals’ who went to court to stop the planned Engineers’ Internship program. “We have a plan laid out for fresh graduates to undergo a further 3 years technical training as a way of releasing to the market ready baked engineers. Unfortunately some of you went to court to block this move and we can do nothing but wait for the court ruling”, he said. Eng. Riungu further called out for engineering lecturers to be practicing engineers. “You cannot impact knowledge on students on things you do not practice yourself. Therefore it is important that those who train engineers be themselves practicing engineers” In his paper on Industrialization of Counties and Vision 2030, Prof. Francis Gichaga highlighted the need for engineering training institutions to be empowered so as to do more research and work closely with the industries. “The government and other interested parties need to invest more in research at our universities. It is through this research that prototypes are built which should further be adopted by industries and produced at large scale” he said. While addressing the delegates on day two, Eng. Cyrus Njiru, the P.S of Industrialization highlighted the need for Engineers to be trained to think bigger. He added his voice to those with the opinion that the five years first degree program was not sufficient. Meanwhile at the IEK AGM, Dr. Mumenya and Prof. Mwangi both of the University of Nairobiconfirmed that the university had a master’s program for industry people. “We have a joined program between the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering departments, a Master’s of Science in Energy Utilization” said Prof.Mwangi. This was in response to concerns that there were no industry based masters programs for engineers. The conference will come to an End today with annual dinner dance at the Imperial Hotel Kisumu.