Page 17 - Engineering in Kenya Mag

graduation. Quite a number were surprised to learn that options such as Aerospace and Marine Engineering are available and have quite attractive prospects. Deeper insights on the different careers are shared freely and students are better able to decide which specialisation to pursue, and the best way of going about it. Students are also advised on internship opportunities and on the path to follow in order to become professional engineers.
What does this Career Week shift mean for the future of the programme?
In future the IEK Career Week will be anchored in the World Engineering Day celebrations held every year on March 4. Sustainability in engineering depends a lot on the extent to which we can attract and retain young people into the career. We will use digital platforms for more effective access to the youth.
Anything else you would like to add or communicate?
Due to the high demand and popularity of the event, we are planning to hold a one-day summit for young engineers. It will be open to engineering students, especially those at advanced levels of their academic programme. This will allow more time to engage and address some of the concerns they wanted guidance on.
I would also urge our senior members (professional Engineers) to take up mentorship of the young engineers – either students or graduates – on a voluntary basis. As IEK we will be running webinars to educate members on how to effectively supervise and mentor young engineers.
Jebet: The conference was insightful with critical lessons
PRESENTATIONS from IEK Career Week 2021 were insightful and intriguing, Patience, Resilience. These are the terms
that Eng. Erastus Mwongera, Chairman of Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK), emphasised in his speech on March 9, 2021 as the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) Career Week kicked off.
Preparations for the week had begun over a week earlier, when leaders of university engineering student bodies, like me, and the IEK planning committee members, under Eng Grace Kagondu, met us and discussed how we could reach more students to participate in such an informative session.
Sharing the news with my fellow students was a pleasure. However, getting their feedback and hearing their eagerness and enthusiasm as they awaited the week was the highlight of it all. We were all very excited to get enlightened about the engineering bodies in the country and the opportunities they presented to us.
The first day of the week focused on all engineering disciplines. Keynote addresses came from Eng. Mwongera and IEK President, Eng. Nathaniel Matalanga, who both challenged and motivated us to pursue engineering resiliently, and for a healthy planet. The presentation: ‘The Engineering Professional Life Cycle by Eng. Grace Onyango particularly sparked my interest when she spoke on the attributes of a graduate engineer.
Engineering knowledge was just one of the 11 points she mentioned, showing how engineers ought to be all rounded, with other attributes such as
communication and ethics being vital as well.
The panel session was the most engaging for the students, as we got to ask questions and give feedback on our experience in the engineering field from our perspective.
Presentations on the third day focused on my discipline – Telecommunication and Information Engineering. I learnt a lot from the experienced engineers in the field, and found the presentation on Industry 4.0 by Eng. Andrew Masila especially intriguing.
In a nutshell, the week was more insightful than we thought it would be. I learnt more about the engineering bodies and their functions, and this motivated me even more to pursue the field.
I believe whoever had second thoughts about engineering walked out of the IEK Career Week feeling inspired and rejuvenated. As Prof. Eng. Edwin Ataro stated, we are in the engineering field because we are the best of the best.
Indeed, the Career Week reminded us of that, and gave us the energy we needed, and for that I am grateful.
Sylvia Jebet Kipkemoi – BSc. Telecommunication and Information Engineering, JKUAT .
Engineering in Kenya Magazine Issue 002
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CAREER WEEK