Corporate Ghana urged to replace obsolete training equipments at universities, polytechnics

Corporate Ghana is being urged to help replace obsolete training equipment at the country’s universities and polytechnics. An official of U.S- based electrical relay manufacturer, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), says upgrading such resource exposes students to modern practical knowledge. The company’s West Africa Regional Sales Manager, Fred Ankrah, made the call when the company donated electrical protection relays worth over GH¢120,000 to the Kumasi Polytechnic at the weekend. The polytechnic authorities say the

Professor Nsowah-Nuamah holding one of the relays whilst Mr. Ankrah(right) looks on

equipment will offer students hands-on tutorials to keep them in tune with the best electrical technology developments, while enhancing capacity of lecturers. The items range from generation, transmission and transformer protection relays. Kumasi Polytechnic’s Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department is the second, after the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology to receive such equipment. The American firm is noted for building and supply of reliable cost-effective protection, monitoring, control, automation, and metering of electric power systems. Its products are available in 142 countries worldwide. Mr. Ankrah, a former student of Kumasi Polytechnic, says universities must embrace technology to improve teaching and learning to make their students competitive in the job market. “Most of these universities still adapt to old concepts of doing things. I think that corporate bodies should come in and support these universities. Corporate sector can collectively help move this sort of industry space especially in the power sector”, Mr Ankrah noted. Kumasi Polytechnic will also benefit from specialized training programs as part of SEL’s corporate responsibility. “These donations are specifically to help that skill transfer required especially before going the field and when you are on the field”, Mr Ankrah explained. Head of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department, Kwadwo Ntiamoah-Sarpong, says the new equipments would help reduce cost of training students in other fields. “ This would be of great benefit to us because day-in and day-out, technology is advancing and even though the principle may be the same, my students would be very privileged since these equipments are very modern”, Mr Ntiamoha-Sarpong said. Meanwhile, Rector of Kumasi Polytechnic, Professor Nicholas Nikodemus Nsowa- Nuamah has appealed to former students of the polytechnic to come to the aid of their alma mater. He says students who have benefited immensely from the polytechnic owe it a duty to support the institution.