Siemens donates automation solutions kit to KNUST
An Engineering company, Siemens, has presented a Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 automation solution kit to the College of Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
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The automation solution kit, which enables the electrical engineering students to stimulate automation processes for a wide range of industries such as automotive manufacturing, food and beverage production and mining cost €25,000.
The solution contains a compact CPU, analogue output, simulator module, Ethernet cable and software. The company is also expected to provide free training on the use of the equipment.
At a presentation ceremony in Accra on, Tuesday, Siemens Global Executive and member of Siemens Managing Board responsible for Human Resources and Environmental Health and Safety, Mrs Janina Kugel, said the company was focused on investing in skills development of the youth and to ensure that they became potential best employees, especially in the field of engineering.
She said it was time for education to move from being a purely academic one to one that provided a blend of academic and hands-on skills for students.
Siemens Sub-Saharan Africa CEO, Ms Sabine Dall’Omo, said Siemens was proud to give young students access to this world-class technology, thereby upskilling them during their studies and adding greater value to their qualifications.
“By having hands-on interaction with these solutions at an early stage, the students are given invaluable practical experience that will serve them well in their future careers. We see the Africa of tomorrow powered by highly efficient industries with a skilled and inclusive workforce. Siemens is shaping this future today, by investing in a technology and skills revolution that enables people to prosper,” she said.
Commitment to Africa
Ms Dall’Omo said Siemens was in Africa for Africa and was therefore committed to contributing to sustainable development by driving the economy, developing local jobs and skills, value-adding innovations, sustaining the environment, improving quality of life and supporting transformation.
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“Digital technology will drive African digitisation Maturity Report, which benchmarks four countries at the forefront of the African digital revolution,” she said.
She added that digitlisation was much more than a business field; it is a growth driver for Siemens, explaining “with our broad range of offerings across energy, manufacturing and transportation, we are ideally equipped for the era of digitilisation. We have much to offer Africa.”
KNUST
The Provost of the College of Engineering, KNUST, Professor Mark Adom-Asamoah, said his outfit was committed to training its students to be fit for what industry was expecting.
He urged the company to consider giving internship opportunities to the students from the College to be able to acquire the hands-on skills needed to fit in the job market upon completion of their course.
Prof Adom-Asamoah explained that the university had the capacity to acquire equipment to aid in teaching and learning, and therefore urged the company to continue investing in the institution to be able to train more qualified graduates.