Engineers, private sector pledge support for Tech-U

REPRESENTATIVES of the private sector and practitioners in the engineering sector have all pledged to support the Technical University to achieve its core mandate of training and producing skilled professionals that would be able to solve the technical and entrepreneurial skills problems of the nation.

They made the pledge on Tuesday in Ibadan on the occasion of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Technical University, Ibadan; the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the Automation & Engineering Academy.

The vice chancellor of Tech-U, Professor Ayobami Salami, said the partnership would afford students of the university access to hands-on technical training and the opportunity to be mentored by engineers and professionals in the field.

“As we have been saying, at The Technical University, we don’t just want to produce graduates that will be certificate-wielding; we want to produce graduates that can serve as ‘plug and play’ within the national and global economy,” he said.

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Professor Salami said the MoU is significant because it provides the framework for deeper and stronger relationship with the engineering profession.

He said he was particularly thrilled that members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers witnessed the occasion “both as individual entities and (as) a unified body,” and assured them that Tech-U would always welcome and value their cooperation, suggestions and support.

The chairman, NSE, Oluyole branch, Mr Ademola Agoro, said the body entered into the partnership so as to engender the much-needed synergy between the industry, the professionals and the academics.

“Our aim is to see The Technical University through the process of accreditation of the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria. Our desire is to see a real synergy between the industry, the professionals and the academics; to use the platform of the academic environment within Tech-U to be able to help in the technological development of our nation,” he said.

The chairman, NSE Ibadan, Mr Adedamola Falade-Fatila, who also witnessed the event, expressed the hope that the partnership would eventually graduate to physical and infrastructural development.

“Enough of lip service to bridging the gap between town and gown; let’s start to make deliberate, purposeful calculated efforts at actualising this dream.

“I strongly believe this is not another MoU signing, and hope that in a short while, the fruits will crystalise into solutions to industry problems,” he said.

The CEO, Automation & Engineering Academy, Mr Basir Adewale Ikotun, who signed on behalf of his company, also expressed confidence that the partnership would work, saying that his company had successfully implemented similar programmes with the University of Ibadan, the Yaba College of Technology, the Industrial Training Fund and Friesland Milk Limited.

The event was also witnessed by former chairmen of the NSE, former commissioners and other representatives of the private sector.