(From left) Gichuhi Ndegwa - Senior Assistant Director TVET, Robert Ngeru - VP Samsung East and Central Africa, Emily Maina - Deputy Director TVET, Alex Wainaina - top student from academy and Gihyeon Kim - CFO Samsung.
A total of 98 students graduated yesterday from the Samsung Electronics Engineering Academy (SEEA) in Kenya, part of the company’s broader goal of developing skilled electronics engineers across Africa.
The academy offered the trainees free hands-on training with Samsung’s top of the range equipment where they are taken through modules such as Hand Held Products (HHP), Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Audio/Video and Home Appliances (AV/HA) and Computers & Printing Technologies.
After the nine months practical class work, the trainees are sent out for three months internship. The top performing students are offered opportunities at Samsung while the rest are taken in by Samsung partner institutions.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Samsung Electronics East and Central Africa vice president Robert Ngeru said the company had invested close to KSh21.7 million (US$250,000) in the setting up of the academy, and spends more than KSh16 million (US$185,000) annually in taking the students through the programme.
“Africa is facing a critical shortage of technical and engineering hands-on skills. But going through the one-year training programme at the academy, which includes nine months of practical class work and three months of field internships, we are bound to see massive improvement in engineering competence across Kenya and Africa as a whole,” he said.
