By Anne Sunkuyia
Regional integration is a key tenet of the EASTRIP project. The project facilitates regional integration by providing a regional platform to promote the exchange of policies and practices, students and faculty mobility, and harmonization of occupational standards and qualifications.
One of the ways which regional integration is achieved is through teaching staff undertaking exchanges with institutions in other countries. This month, the centre has sent four trainers who are experts in mechanical engineering, drilling technology, mechatronics and environmental science to Kafue Gorge Regional Training Centre (KGRTC) to undertake trainer exchanges for knowledge and experience sharing and regional integration.
KGRTC is a Subsidiary Organisation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), established in 1989 – with the support of NORAD and Sida – to offer specialized training in hydropower and related engineering disciplines. Given its longstanding and internationally recognised experience, today KGRTC operates as a key player in skills development for Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) technologies in the region. The Centre aims to ensure sustainable and safe energy access to communities by upskilling Energy professionals in the region
The four trainers will be oriented towards the work processes and obtain knowledge of potential careers and develop new areas of interests to learn and to have a knowledge of the upcoming opportunities in the geothermal sector. The exchange program aims to understand the working environment and functional relationships within the organization and to apply the concepts and school-based skills into practice. By so doing, KenGen GTC would achieve one of the Project’s Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs).
This exchange programme will offer a great opportunity to the trainers to learn from experiences and best practices that will enable both institutions grow to be the leading skills and knowledge hubs in the region and internationally.
The Writer is a Senior Information Scientist at KenGen Geothermal Training Center