Programme Name: Upgrading Engineering Training and Practice in Sierra Leone
Programme Objectives
- Improving in the short-term job opportunities for graduate engineers from the University of Sierra Leone (USL)
- Improving the overall standard, relevance and quality of engineering courses and CPD being offered at the University of Sierra Leone and the professional institution
- Empowering the engineering departments at the University of Sierra Leone to be creative in introducing innovation in research, teaching and development projects in partnership with industry, funders and external partners.
- Creating a community of engineers that can drive improvement in the standard of engineering practice
- Drawing on the skills, connections and experience of the Sierra Leone diaspora community to support the objectives as listed above.
The Delivery Programme is divided into 5 component parts as described below.
Part 1 – Young Engineers Corp 2
Lead: Ing Trudy Morgan
Description
YEC2 develops on the lessons learnt and successes of the YEC pilot project. It looks at developing and further rolling out the “soft” skills development and work placement programme. The aim is to train 100 graduates over a two year period, and expand the number of subjects covered. The training will cover the following disciplines and local champions have already been identified:
Civils
Electrical
Mechanical
Mining
Telecoms
Ing Alpha B Savage
Ing Prof Jonas Redwood- Sawyer
Ing Sahr Nyalloma
Ing Samuel Kamara
Ing Louise Chaytor
Ing Afriyie Assamany
Ing Sesay [EDSA]
Ing Dr Michael Conteh
Ing Sahr Nyalloma
Ing. Samba Sesay
Local companies will be approached very early and asked to provide “company champions” who will be part of the training development, providing input into the updated training manuals and lead on implementing the training in the various companies. The training will include lectures on Innovation, IP awareness and commercialisation into each module that would be delivered online by Innovation Action.
Part 2 – Raising standards at USL’s Engineering Faculty
Lead: Professor Jonas Redwood-Sawyerr
Description
This component will aim to address the issues around the standards of the facilities and teaching resources available at Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone (USL).
This includes integrating the outcomes and resources being provided through other current initiatives at USL. These initiatives include:
- The BADEA project which is designed to upgrade the teaching facilities, student residences and staff accommodation facilities at the university. This project has commenced and will last for five years.
- The SPHEIR (Strategic Partnership for Higher Education Innovation and Reform) project being funded by DfID which will upgrade teaching resources and focus on the training of lab technicians.
SLIE has been in discussions with both initiatives and will aim to work in conjunction with them to ensure there are no gaps and to deliver and maximize the opportunities being delivered under the Africa Catalyst Phase 2 programme.
The team of academic experts from Imperial College and Engineers for Change, Sierra Leone input:
- The team of academic experts from Imperial College - Professor Mike Lowe, Dr Mike Templeton, Dr Kristel Fobelets - will provide on-going mentorship and support to the university academic staff to deliver the requirements of the academic accreditation assessment.
- The team of academic experts will also contribute to the assessment of the academic/ teaching staff at the university to identify training requirements and any gaps in the teaching provision to meet the requirements of the accreditation.
- team of academic experts will work with the University to expand the teaching and training material that students have access in partnership with UK universities and subject matter experts.
- EfCSL will Develop programmes in collaboration with the university in which subject matter experts from the Sierra Leone diaspora community can deliver training courses and lectures.
- EfCSL will work with Engineers without Borders (Denmark) to co-ordinate their stated intention to extend or establish an exchange programme to support engineering training in Sierra Leone.
Part 3 – Attaining international academic accreditation
Lead: Ing Dr Samba Sesay
Description
This component involves expanding the Civil and Electrical engineering degree course content to meet standards for international accreditation. For FBC, this goes beyond course content and includes staff review – evaluation and upgrading. The Washington Accord will be used as a benchmark and the assistance has been guaranteed from a leading UK University to help with structuring the review. The University will make a formal request to the Joint Moderator Board in the UK for the Institution of Civil Engineering and Institution of Electrical Engineers for an academic assessment of the degree courses in Civil Engineering and Electrical and Electronic engineering.
It is anticipated following 2 years of working the with the team from Imperial College 2 in improving the undergraduate engineering degree courses in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical engineering, the university will have increased confidence AND likelihood in a successful accreditation outcome.
Therefore, in September 2020 the plan is to undertaken a formal accreditation of the undergraduate courses in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical by the UK professional engineering institutions.
Part 4 – Improving professional training and developing CPD and supplementary training
Lead: Ing Trudy Morgan/ Ing Afriyie Assamany Ing. Louise Chaytor / Ing. Barton Cole / Ing. Solomon Tucker / Ing. Patrick Williams
Description
This component looks to complement and supplement the ongoing works at SLIE in developing and rolling out a Continuous Professional Development programme for all engineers at all levels in Sierra Leone. The overall aim is to embed a culture of training in the country. EFCSL and SLIE are jointly leading this. This part aims at creating a community of engineers that can drive improvement in the standard of engineering practice by ensuring that they have access to established knowledge and skills through various activities that constitute continuous professional development.
This component also involves expanding the scope and numbers of candidates pursuing international professional training accreditation with the ICE, I.Mech I, and IET etc. Local Champions for each institution have been identified
The UK Partner - Engineers for Change Sierra Leone input
UK Partner Coordinators: Henry Smith/ Modupe Williams/ Laurence Pratt/ Abubakarr Bah/ Rowland Gordon
- Provide mentorship support to ICE candidates in Sierra Leone that are currently registered to qualify for I. Eng. and C.Eng.
- Identify and provide mentorship to qualified candidates for IMechE and IET in Sierra Leone, provide support in achieving I.Eng. / C. Eng. Status
- Assess CPD provision in Sierra Leone and draw-up a programme of appropriate courses and training that can be delivered by experts through Webinars/ Internet and other media in collaboration with UK professional institutions.
Part 5 – Promoting innovation in research to deliver commercial outcomes
Lead: Ing Georgette Greene/Ing Ahmad Wurie
This component involves working with the Universities and companies in Sierra Leone to identify and provide training and support in developing suitable projects from research concepts to marketable products.
The UK Partner, Innovation Action/ Engineers for Change (Sierra Leone)
UK Coordinator: Peter Fearon/ Modupe Williams / Rowland Gordon
- Innovation Action will provide staff training manuals and workshops in IP awareness, commercialisation and entrepreneurship
- Innovation Action will work in collaboration with Engineers for Change (SL) and SLIE in reaching out to the Sierra Leone diaspora community in the UK and key individuals in Sierra Leone to deliver a step change in industry in promoting commercially sustainable innovation.
- Explore the possibility/feasibility of establishing a physical/virtual innovation incubator in collaboration with local and international partners at the University of Sierra Leone.
- The incubator would draw on UK expertise in commercialization and IP protection
- An international panel drawn from Sierra Leone staff and alumni and the UK diaspora would assess and rank opportunities.
- An inventor reward scheme for successful exploitation of IP, that suits the requirements of Sierra Leone, would be introduced.
