STUDENT LINKS TO INDUSTRY SPECIAL FOCUS TO MENTORING

1. KENYA POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE STUDENT LINKS TO INDUSTRY SPECIAL FOCUS TO MENTORING FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SEST PRESENTATION 01 NOVEMBER 2012 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 SOLUTION Linking students to industry • Students • KPUC Engg Student Assn • iIndustry • engineering companies • Research organisations • Consultancies • KPUC • SEST – all departments • and directorates • Student Union & KPUC ESA – establishes career interest groups • KPUC Engg Students Assn organises conferences • Manage innovation and enterprise competitions • Solicits for talent development funding • Establishes Skills Data Base • Maintains Employee Data Base • Runs Employment Web-site • Organises Career Events & Workshops • Runs Mentoring Committees • Manages IBLs • Supplies employment data. • Inputs to curriculum development. • Supports collaborative research & teaching • 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

6. Thanks, any questions?

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]