Page 15 - Engineering in Kenya Mag

IEK Career Week inducts future Tengineers; inspires hope
HE Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) held the first of a kind Career Week bringing together engineering students
from 12 universities from March 9-12, 2020.
The four-day virtual conference, which was also attended by deans of engineering faculty from the various universities, was the culmination of weeks of meticulous preparation by the planning committee led by Eng. Grace Kagondu, assisted by Eng. Paul Ochola and Eng. Godfrey Marambe, who chairs the Young Engineers Chapter at IEK.
The Week was opened by keynote speeches from Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) Chairman, Eng. Erastus Mwongera and IEK President, Eng. Nathaniel Matalanga.
Eng. Matalanga said the mentorship programme was one of the highlight activities organised by the IEK and EBK to celebrate the world engineering day, which had come less than a week earlier on March 4.
Eng. Mwongera took the students through the transition process from a student to a graduate engineer and ultimately to a professional engineer.
“As you grow your career further, you will transition to be a Consulting engineer, who is an expert consulted in particular field of engineering. This is a very exciting stage of engineering category and can be recognized as apex of career growth,” said Eng. Mwongera.
“From here you will be allowed to have engineering consulting firms or even become Accredited Checkers.”
An accredited checker, according to Eng. Mwongera, is a registered peer review consulting engineer, who has the powers to evaluate, analyse and review the engineering designs and perform such original calculations with a view to determining the adequacy of the design and compliance with safety requirements.
He urged the students to register with the Board as graduate engineers
Career Engineering students train at a local University. PHOTO COURTESY
once they successfully graduate from university.
He advised the students to follow their passion and do what they are good at.
“As engineers, let the problems in the world dictate what you do. Do something that genuinely helps others and makes the world a better place in a major way. That is the way to have a happy, fulfilled life,” he said.
Eng. Matalanga encouraged the students to join the IEK as student members, saying this would give them the right footing and a strong foundation as they begin their career.
“The Institution facilitates student and young engineers to publish research work, showcase their works and innovations at high level platforms like the Engineering in Kenya Magazine,” he said.
“IEK has been at the forefront in advocating for the rights and welfare of the graduate engineers through lobbying for better remuneration and terms of service. This is in line with its vision of upholding the dignity of the profession.”
He hailed the Young Engineers Chapter, a subcommittee of the Capacity Building & Mentorship
Committee of the IEK for playing a major role in organising the Career Week. The president said he hoped the institution will be able to organize such a programme every year in celebration of the World Engineering Day.
Dr. Eng. Hiram Ndiritu, the Ag. Principal, College of Engineering and Technology at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) challenged the students to be reliable public servants, uphold integrity, seek for respect of the profession and change the society when they finally join the field.
He said the Council of Deans/ Principals of Engineering of Kenya, of which he is a member, ensures universities meet the engineering courses accreditation requirements and supports the IEK/EBK effort to have engineering recognition by the Washington Accord.
Eng. Ochola, a member of the Career Week’s planning committee, said the mentorship programme assured all students in each university undertaking an engineering course that they are all equally as competent at the time of graduation as students from the universities that have been in existence for little longer.
Engineering in Kenya Magazine Issue 002
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IEK Career Week