Engineering is not the preserve of men - Female students advised
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), Ing. William Amuna, has advised women pursuing engineering courses not to be discouraged by the wrong perception that the field is the preserve of men.
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He explained that the experience of GRIDCO, after it had employed women engineers, showed that females who dared the field of engineering proved to be hardworking, innovative, excellent, amazing and great leaders.
Ing Amuna who was addressing graduates from the College of Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) recounted how women employed by GRIDCo over the years, made exploits and rose to the top hierarchy of the company.
He explained that two years ago, GRIDCo employed 40 technicians and engineers, 25 per cent of whom were women and said over the years they had performed excellently and cited one instance where the project manager for the major transmission line project from Kumasi to Bolgatanga was a lady “who is also doing an excellent job”.
“Engineering is meant for everybody. Next time you hear anybody tell you Engineering is not meant for women, just look for the next trash bin and throw that statement in there,” he told upcoming engineers amid a thunderous applause.
Technology
Mr Amuna, who also graduated from the same college 32 years ago, recounted how as a son of a night watchman in Kumasi, he and his brother were able to climb the educational ladder to become an engineer and a Professor in Public health in the United Kingdom and Qatar respectively.
He said things had changed with the development of technology because in those days, “if you mentioned tablets, I would most probably go looking for chloroquine,” adding that now it referred to a computer.
He noted how 32 years ago, news reports of the event would take a whole week to come out in the media, especially print, and how technology had changed the world with people being able to have live coverage of events as they happened to the rest of the world at the same time.
Mr Amuna urged the graduating students to take advantage of the development of information technology to get some leverage and said he expected them to start their own businesses and offer employment to others because “the days when everyone sought the comfort and security of government employment are over.”
He advised the students to take advantage of technological advancement to develop and enhance their knowledge. He, however, asked them not to limit themselves to what they had studied within the four walls of the university.
“I have seen civil engineers who have migrated into electrical engineering and become successful. I have seen architects who are now full-time IT specialists and the list goes on,” Mr Amuna stated.
