The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, Patricia Obo-Nai, has urged engineering students of Ashesi University to also seek practical experiences whilst in school. According to her, acquiring practical knowledge is key to the engineering course and it will enable them to fully understand what they learn in class.
Speaking during the Engineering Department’s virtual programme dubbed, ‘Time with Engineers’, Mrs. Obo-Nai, who is a celebrated engineer, encouraged the student engineers to take up internships for the practical exposure.
“Internships give young engineers the opportunities to meet people who have years of great engineering experiences. With internships, you are able to fully understand the theoretical aspects you have studied in the classroom. During internships, you learn how to work with people, fit in the working environment, build your professional competency and offers you the room to make mistakes and correct them. These experiences are valuable in the field of engineering”, Mrs. Obo-Nai added.
She also advised the students to acquire diverse knowledge, be open-minded and try to make themselves relevant as engineers.
“Digital transitions happen every day, and due to these changes, we have had to move from analogue to digital. From 2G to 3G, then 3G to 4G, and now 4G to 5G. It is therefore important to learn new things. Acquire advance technology knowledge because consumer needs keep changing. Therefore, you need to gain additional knowledge always. ”.
Touching on the importance of studying engineering, Mrs. Obo-Nai noted that, “as an engineer, because you understand technology as it is embedded in everything that you do, it makes you very analytical. You also become a strong person since you come across and resolve complex problems on the job; you are able to build resilience as well. You are in the best place”.
“To fully enjoy your courses, you must love what you are studying. If you hate it, it won’t be easy for you. Don’t try to impress anybody. Understand who you are. Read about the various programs and know the ones you are comfortable and flow with before you decide”, she advised. She further encouraged female students to position themselves well to be able to fit in the engineering field. “Though this field is male-dominated and you will not be able to change the social bias, you must work hard to position yourself to be a valuable asset to your team and to the engineering career”, she concluded.
