The Professional Engineers Registration Council (PERC) and the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers (SLIE) in conjunction with the Royal Academy of Engineering, Innovation Action and Engineers for Change Sierra Leone and Freetown Business School have ended a week innovation and entrepreneur skills training for Hons 1 and final year students at the Faculty of Engineering Fourah Bay College on Friday 17th, May 17, 2019.
Ing. Georgette Greene Conference Secretary of SLIE, as well as Team Lead for part five of the Royal Academy Sponsored Project “Upgrading University Education in Sierra Leone”, said the essence of the project was to ensure that the Faculty of Engineering regains its standard.
Ing. Greene said the Royal Academy of Engineering is working in collaboration with the SLIE who won a bid for the second phase of the Global Challenge Research Fund African Catalyst Program, adding that the program is divided into five sections.
She said that part I deals with training graduates and students with soft skills, which prepares them for the industry. Parts 2&3 ensure that the University Engineering Education is accredited internationally, while Part 4 is to provide Continuous Professional Development for graduates and professional engineers, and part 5 is to encourage and foster Innovation in Engineering within the College.
She said the One-week Entrepreneurship Program was part of part 5, and was the first stage in a two years’ project where students get trained to develop innovative skills.
She stated that the project includes an Innovation Hub which will be established at the University, noting that ideas and projects which can be commercialized will be identified at the end of the program.
She said “The project is the first ever innovation program hosted by the University, and students were impressed to receive such package”.
Professor Dr. Kelleh Gbawuru Mansaray, Dean Faculty of Engineering and Architecture Fourah Bay College said the project came at the right time as the idea was to transform the Faculty into an entrepreneur and by extension the University as a whole.
He emphasized that graduates were finding it difficult to secure jobs, adding that through such skills gained in entrepreneurship students would be able to secure their own businesses.
He said “We are trying to introduce entrepreneurship in the new curriculum across the Engineering Faculty regardless of the discipline one is offering “.
He encouraged students to make use of the knowledge gained during the one-week exercise.
Director of Innovation Action Dr. Peter Fearon, a member of staff at the University of Brighton, UK said the training would encourage students to think more creatively and business-like in their approach to engineering.
He said the project aims to educate students as well as build their capacity and package ideas that would be attractive to investors.
N’Delei Sam Year 5 student of the Engineering Faculty commended the facilitators for contributing to their knowledge in entrepreneur skills and stated that “skills acquired during the one-week training will help greatly in securing my own business.”
Another student Kosi Sesay said the training had broadened his skills in the area of entrepreneurship, adding that the group work has opened his eyes to practical skills and how to develop proposals that would gain funding.
At the end of the training over 80 students were awarded certificates by the facilitators and the Dean of the Engineering Faculty Fourah Bay College.
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