The Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers (SLIE), led by Ing. Louise Chaytor, team lead Continuous Professional Development, Abdul- Kaadiru Kallon and Thomas Michael Salankole, Graduate Engineers, on Wednesday the 8th September 2021 held a meeting with EDSA at the head office in Murray Town. The meeting was attended by Ing. James Rogers, Acting Director-General, Ing. Chernor Sulaiman Jalloh, Technical Director, and Mr. Peter Kamuray, Human Resource Director.
Ing. Chaytor explained the purpose of the meeting which was to introduce the Continuous Professional Development Framework developed by PERC and SLIE to upgrade the Engineering Training and practice standard in Sierra Leone. This framework will facilitate career growth, skills development, and lifelong learning that will keep engineers on the cutting edge of their careers. She appreciated and thanked EDSA for being a consistent registered entity at the SLIE and one that normally ensures that their engineers are registered. What SLIE is introducing is a standard procedure for the practice of engineering as it is in developed nations. It is a system of lifelong learning that encourages engineers to always improve their skills, experience and contribute to the engineering profession and its body of knowledge. Ing. Louise, added that the Professional Engineering Registration Council (PERC) that was set up by an act of Parliament for registration, certification, and licensing of professional Engineers had worked together SLIE in piloting the CPD framework. Ing. Chaytor and her team presented a copy of the CPD booklet and informed them that a soft copy was available online on the website. She encouraged EDSA to include CPD in their performance appraisal and management system. The SLIE team encouraged EDSA Engineers to participate in CPD activities and inform us of their training needs through this medium.
The Acting Director-General, James Rogers on the behalf of EDSA management appreciated the SLIE team and welcomed the idea of the CPD framework, and said they are interested in working with SLIE/PERC as they have recently employed 34 Engineers and look forward to training them. He added that there is a need to train engineers and the introduction of the CPD is timely. He asked if the training was going to be free or paid for? Ing. Chaytor carefully answered that some courses will be free and others according to demand will have to be paid for.
The Technical Director Alpha Chernor Jalloh highlighted their training needs according to priorities ranging from technical competence, soft skills, health, safety & risk management, leadership, and commercialization at the top management level which the team carefully noted. The training needs survey was successfully done by the graduate engineers Abdul-Kaadiru Kallon and Thomas Michael Salankole to learn the perspective of the engineering employers.
The EDSA team led by Acting Director-General promised to work together with SLIE/PERC on not only the CPD but other activities that will improve the standard of engineering practice in Sierra Leone.
