As part of SLIE’s ongoing engagements with various heads of institutions, firms, companies, and MDAs, on the new SLIE/PERC Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework, on Thursday, 9th September, 2021, two graduate engineers, Thomas Michael Salankole and Abdul Kaadiru Kallon, both volunteering on the SLIE/PERC CPD framework, met with the management of FLS Power Group and the managing coordinator, of Nubia Construction Company Limited. Individual engagement was conducted at the office premises of both companies, and the main reason for both meetings was to introduce the new SLIE/PERC CPD framework, and encourage the management of both companies to work together with SLIE/PERC in implementing this framework. The representatives from SLIE CPD team engaged both companies on the need for implementing this framework due to ongoing efforts by SLIE and PERC in upgrading the standard of engineering practice and training in Sierra Leone. The team explained that all these can only be achieved through collaborative efforts by SLIE/PERC and the willingness, commitment, and support, from all professional engineers and engineering employers. As a member of various international professional bodies and also SLIE, Ing. Foday Suma, CEO, FLS Power Group, welcomed the idea and expressed his happiness at the introduction of the CPD framework. He noted that he had already been aware of this framework through the general engineers’ forum, but not in as much detail as the team explained. As a member of SLIE, he revealed that he hasn’t been active for a while with SLIE activities because he thinks they are a mere waste of time. However, after engaging with the SLIE CPD team, and from awareness of ongoing efforts by Ing. Trudy Morgan, current president SLIE, Ing Suma, promised to henceforth fulfill his individual commitment(s), and ensure all his engineers and technicians and his firm comply as well. Ing. Suma further commented that the engagement was very timely, as there were already ongoing plans by management for their engineers to undertake soft skills training. Grow Salone, a management firm, is ready to offer them training packages. However, they are now ready and willing to work together with SLIE/PERC on the CPD framework. Soft skills, especially Project management, Report writing, communication, and presentations skills are their institution’s immediate training needs, as they sometimes hire Project management firms for projects where their engineers struggle. Ing. Suma is concerned about engineering institutions without standards offering engineering courses and trainings, without even accreditations from NCTVA and/or Tertiary Education Commission. He urges PERC to take responsibility in maintaining engineering standards, and recalls some reports he did a few years ago for SLIE, that will help SLIE in developing a license scheme for engineers to work. The team discussed with FLS Power Group on the possibility of involving the FLS Power Group Academy in the CPD framework. The FLS Power Group Academy, is an accredited institution by NCTVA offering diploma and certificate trainings for technicians in Electricals and Solar installation, digital literacy skills and entrepreneurship. They welcomed the idea and look forward to working with SLIE/PERC. He suggested SLIE/PERC make available the draft of the PERC amendment bill to engineers for their technical input.

Presentation of the CPD Booklet to Nubia Construction Co Ltd

The team later visited Nubia Construction Company Limited. Ing.Jeffrey Bowlay-Williams, Managing Coordinator, Nubia Construction Limited Company, and a fellow of SLIE gave assurances of his commitment to the new CPD framework. He said that he, his firm and his engineers are registered and actively participating in all SLIE activities. He said he looks forward to the implementation of the CPD framework.