Johannesburg, 03 Oct 2017
* Empowering a new technical generation.
* Conference reviews IOT and micro grid market.
* Encouraging access to energy training and entrepreneurship.
The Kilimanjaro International Institute for Telecommunications, Electronics and Computers (KIITEC) officially opened its 30KW solar power plant and solar laboratory on 23 September 2017 at its training centre in Moshono, Arusha next to the Masai Camp, in Tanzania.
Officially opened by Her Excellency Malika Berak, Ambassador of France in Tanzania, the event brought together the partners that have supported KIITEC for many years. These are: Schneider Electric East Africa, the Schneider Electric Foundation, ADEI, EDF Help and the Foundation for Technical Education (FTE).
Attending the event were Edouard Heripret (General Manager Schneider Electric East Africa), Francis Brochon (FTE president), Jean Pierre Acquadro (ADEI President) and Daniel Mtana (KIITEC Director of studies). In addition, volunteers from Schneider Electric teachers attended the celebration.
The opening also featured two conferences - one on 'Micro grid market model: a way for Africa' and the 'Internet of things (IOT), impact in industrial and photovoltaic applications'.
"The opening of this solar power plant speaks to the accomplishment of our vision to become the centre of training excellence for renewable energy, particularly solar photovoltaic systems in East Africa," says Mtana. "Committed to true hands-on experience, KIITEC has now invested heavily in photovoltaic solutions and strives to be recognised as the premier provider of quality technical education in a student-centred community."
Importance of technical, vocational training and education (TVET)
"In most sub-Saharan countries, the rate of enrolment in formal secondary technical and vocational training and education (TVET) does not exceed 5%." adds Heripret. "Vocational training has always been at the heart of Schneider Electric's DNA. In East Africa, we have been committed to support technical training since 2009. KIITEC was one of our first training partners and I am pleased today to participate in the inauguration of the solar plant and laboratory, as these new components will allow students to have a full set of competencies to enter the labour market and will support access to energy for everyone.
"At Schneider Electric, we are building sustainable communities through energy knowledge and leadership, thanks to the Schneider Electric Foundation. Its aim is to contribute to the development of people and societies through education, innovation, awareness-raising and vocational training related to energy. It acts anywhere in the world where the company is present, through its three programmes.
"We want everyone on our planet to have access to reliable, safe, efficient and sustainable energy. Today, nearly 1.1 billion people - almost one in every five people on the planet - lack access to modern energy.
The group is firmly committed to facilitating energy access for unprivileged populations through renewable energy, particularly solar technologies. We are proud to conclude this latest partnership with KIITEC, one of our oldest partners in Africa, to help train young Tanzanians for energy and electricity jobs. This training will help them find employment and raise their standard of living for themselves and their families. We share the KIITEC Foundation's vision of development built on education and work."
Replicating the model
Michel Ramser, formerly VP Product Marketing - EcoBuilding LoB - has been assigned by Schneider Electric to help KIITEC. He represents Schneider Electric to duplicate the KIITEC model, through rolling it out with other NGOs and vocational training centres. Therefore, Schneider Electric is placing Ramser to work full-time with ADEI, the implementation partner, to initiate a 'train the trainer' course and to find new partners, technical training places to perpetuate the KIITEC model and make it sustainable.
Background
KIITEC is an international technical institution. The institute was founded in 2004 by French engineers and has produced some of the most competent technicians in the country. Two NGOs, the Foundation for Technical Education (FTE-Swiss) and Action Development Education International (ADEI-French), support the institution. Schneider Electric assists ADEI in its support of KIITEC.
The institute is a pilot centre, with the goal of transposing and exporting its model from Tanzania, in particular, to Kenya. It provides its students with the basic skills in telecommunications, electronics, information science, networks and industrial automation systems. The training lasts over two years. It comprises lectures complemented by practical training, project design, and a three-month outplacement in a company. As of today, 700 young people, comprising 90% of the students, have obtained their diploma, the 'National Technical Award', which is recognised by the local government, and have all found jobs, mainly in the industrial maintenance sector.
At KIITEC, one can get the most recent technical knowledge in the fields of telecommunications, industrial electrical automation and computer engineering to a diploma level. Besides diploma courses, it also offers certificate, short and professional courses on solar PV energy, electricity, IT and security, CCNA, human machine interface and many other courses.
FTE Foundation for Technical Education - after spending years building lasting friendships with the local people, while exploring the depths of East Africa, the founding members of FTE came to recognise that the lack of technical expertise held back development. Sitting together around a small wooden table in Tanzania, with a combination of business, engineering, teaching and medical backgrounds, they committed immediately to finding the resources to provide access to professional training centres to educate the maintenance technicians needed to address this problem.
Its mission is to leverage technology-based education to help transform lives and enable local development. It achieves this by providing the tools and essential skills that are needed for young people to achieve successful careers in the technical field.
Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric's commitment to sustainability and entrepreneurship is reflected in its Access to Energy Programme. Schneider Electric launched and implemented this energy training initiative in 2009. It implements these initiatives in collaboration with NGOs and vocational training centres.
Since 2009, it has trained more than 145 000 people and supported more than 1 000 entrepreneurs in the energy sector, with the aim of helping local communities acquire the key skills they need to develop access to energy sustainably.
Skills development and support to entrepreneurship in energy-related fields open access to qualified employment and entrepreneurial activities for people from underprivileged backgrounds, thereby empowering local communities to develop and maintain solutions that provide access to modern, reliable and sustainable energy for all.
The Schneider Electric Foundation supports the ADEI at many levels, within the framework of the Access to Energy programme. Access to Energy is the Schneider Electric programme designed to spread access to a safe, affordable and green energy for those who need it the most. Since 2009, the Schneider Electric Foundation and its partners have completed 30 vocational training missions. This has been realised through Schneider Electric equipping laboratories and making Schneider Electric teachers available to its partner training institutions.
Finally, the Foundation supports the successfully qualified young people in setting up their own businesses.
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