Mantrac donates Caterpillar engine to Takoradi Technical University
Mantrac Ghana has donated a new Caterpillar 3406C engine, worth $20,000, to the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Takoradi Technical University (TTU) to support students in their practical lessons.
The CAT 3406C engine, which will be put at the autotronic laboratory of the department, is also to support a Caterpillar technician for Africa online learning programme to provide students with a practical feel of an industrial engine.
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Significance
The Operations Manager of the Component Rebuild Centre of Mantrac, Mr Andrew Sarson, said aside from theory, students must also be given a practical feel of what they had been taught to help them understand how the system worked.
“We, therefore, look forward to collaborating with the TTU on the technician for Africa programme, which is designed for Africans seeking new and exciting careers as service technicians,” he said.
Mr Sarson encouraged university authorities elsewhere to adopt the programme as part of their engineering department curriculum.
“This will give students the added advantage of technical skills and practical know-how over their counterparts in other universities,” he added.
Appreciation
The Vice-Chancellor of the TTU, Professor John Frank Eshun, who received the engine, expressed appreciation to Mantrac Ghana and described the donation as timely, as the TTU, at the recent launch of a five-year strategic plan, had said it was looking forward to such appropriate industry support to achieve its mandate of a true technical university that produced industry-cut technicians.
“The council, management and students appreciate Mantrac for coming to our aid with this equipment for training. We believe the academia-industry relationship you have demonstrated must be an example to all companies in our catchment area,” he added.
Prof. Eshun further said there was the need for educational institutions to collaborate more with industry to help find solutions to challenges facing the country.
“That was why these technical universities were established; we will make good use of the equipment and keep interacting with you to see how best we can redesign our curriculum to meet the needs of society,” he said.
For his part, the principal technician at the electro-tronic laboratory of the university, Mr James Tawiah Kwame Aggrey, explained how essential the engine was in the training of students.
“We can use this engine for demonstrations and parts identification. After school, these are the exact components students are going to work with,” he said.
The management of Mantrac extended an invitation to engineering students of the university to visit its modern component rebuild centre at Ewusiejoe for a more practical feel of what they were being taught.
