Sest presentation student links to industry - 01 november 2012
1. KENYA POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SEST
PRESENTATION
01 NOVEMBER 2012
STUDENT LINKS TO INDUSTRY
SPECIAL FOCUS TO MENTORING
BY
Dr. Faustin Ondore, PhD, C.Eng., MAeSK, MRAeS, MIMechE, MASME, MINCOSE
Chairman, Dept. of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering
2. INTRODUCTION
Statement of Need
1 Candidates:
• Due to lack of correct information, many graduates remain unemployed for long
periods after completion of studies
• Evidence (anecdotal), suggests that majority candidates do not start seeking
employment opportunities till close to graduation or after – too late !
• Candidates have limited information of where to start job hunt, when and how
• Often candidates have no accurate knowledge of roles and functions they should
seek
• When hired, new employees have ill-defined professional development goals
• More often than not, new hirers have little mentoring industry support
• For the above and other reasons, the rather common outcome is stunted career
growth
• This ignorance contributes to engineering profession being viewed as non-
growth activity.
3. INTRODUCTION
Statement of Need
2 Employers
• Due to lack of correct information, many roles remain vacant or filled with non-
ideal candidates
• Reports from industry suggests that many employers hire at the last minute–
with little time for planning
• Employers often frustrated by lack of information on sources of suitable
candidates
• In many instances, employers are unaware of the large variety of knowledge
and
skills being developed in universities and colleges
• Many employers have no formal induction or mentoring process towards career
development – a cause of high turn-over of key skills
• For the above and other reasons, the rather common outcome is a demoralised
and ill-motivated key workers
• This ignorance is key contributor to stunted corporate growth and prosperity
4. SOLUTION
Linking students to industry
• Student Union & KPUC • Establishes Skills Data Base
ESA – establishes career • Supplies employment
• Maintains Employee Data
interest groups data.
Base
• KPUC Engg Students Assn • Inputs to curriculum
• Runs Employment Web-site
organises conferences development.
• Organises Career Events &
• Manage innovation and • Supports
Workshops
enterprise competitions collaborative research
• Runs Mentoring Committees
• Solicits for talent & teaching
• Manages IBLs
development funding • Conducts IPDSs
5. BENEFITS
of
Linking students to industry & mentoring
• Enhanced rate of employment – through better knowledge of the industry & opportunities
• Sound professional development – initially at KPUC and later in industry
• Opportunities for making informed choices for making more appropriate career direction
through the mentoring process
• Awareness of the diversity of roles in engineering including leadership, team skills,
innovation & enterprise in addition to core engineering competencies such as aero, elect,
mech, geo, civil etc
•
7. The ways forward
• Development of data base engineering and technology companies,
consultancies and research organisations, national and foreign – [action by
students-by 15 Nov 2012]
• Start focused visit to targeted organisation – [action by SEST departs]
• Development of employment opportunity wed-site [ SEST departs –
immediate start]
•
