IET-Ghana, electrical contractors sign MoU to develop built industry
The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET Ghana) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA) for the growth of the built industry.
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The agreement will enable the two organisations to focus on training, professional practices and licensing. The President of the IET-Ghana, Henry Kwadwo Boateng, signed for his organisation, while the President of GECA, Awal Sakib Mohammed, initialed for the association at a ceremony in Accra.
Collaboration
Mr Boateng said it had become necessary for engineering practitioners and contractors who undertook design installations to work together. He said one of the areas they could work on was the new reforms by the government on competency-based training (CBT) for technical universities and technical, vocational, education and training (TVET) institutions.
"It had been designed in such a way that they have to get more field training," Mr Boateng said, adding that there was the need to look at the CBT to see how best they could support the government realise its objectives.
"For our own benefit, we are also looking for opportunities whereby engineering practitioners can also collaborate with electrical contractors to ensure standards. "I think that is the reason why we thought it wise to have this MoU with you so that we see how best we can work together for the betterment of the nation," Mr Boateng said.
Depletion of skills
For his part, Mr Mohammed said the GECA was established in 1948 with the purpose of being the voice of the electrical industry. Currently, he said the association had representation at various levels, including the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Energy with a representative at the Ghana Standards Authority, among others.
"When it comes to practice, some of us are concerned about the depletion of skills, the level at which skills are depleting in this country is worrying. “Today, if you go to our construction industry, you would find a lot of foreigners, people from Togo and Nigeria working in our space without any regulation or licensing," he said.
Mr Mohammed said there was the need to control such influx since there were laws in the country, adding that "we are very familiar with the fact that the Engineering Council Act requires all engineering practitioners in the country to be licensed”.
"We are encouraging electrical engineers who own electrical companies and want better opportunities to join the group for more exposure," he said.
