ENGINEERS EMPOWERING YOUNG ENGINEERS IN KENYA WITH STRUCTURAL EUROCODE BRIDGE DESIGN TRAINING

By: Khadija Omar

The ALIVE Foundation, under the patronage of Ambassador Amina Mohamed, recently hosted a five-day training on structural eurocode bridge design module. The training, made possible by the generous sponsorship of 748 Air Services, aimed to equip young graduate engineers with the necessary skills to advance in their careers and bridge the gap between graduate and professional engineers.

The chief guest at the training was Engineer Margaret Ogai, the Registrar of the Engineers Board of Kenya, who encouraged the participants to pursue professional engineering certification and commended the foundation for providing a much needed forum in the industry.

The training was particularly important given Kenya's recent adoption of the euro codes, which many young engineers are not yet familiar with. Participants were not only given the training free of charge, but were also provided with transport to the venue, making it accessible to young engineers who may not have otherwise been able to attend.

It was led by Engineer Solomon Kitema, a seasoned bridge designer and consultant, who shared his expertise with the graduates The training covered a range of topics, including bridge design principles, materials selection, load analysis, and construction techniques The graduates were also given sessions on transitioning from graduate engineer to professional engineer, and the benefits of obtaining professional engineering certification

The ALIVE Foundation is committed to empowering the youth and promoting values, ethics, and integrity in society The foundation seeks to make trainings and mentorship needed in the job market accessible to young people, particularly those facing unemployment challenges The Bridge Design Training program is just one of many initiatives the foundation has undertaken to achieve this mission

Itisourhopethatthisisjustthebeginningofalargerinitiativetomakevital trainingsandmentorshipaccessibletoouryouthandalleviatethecurrent unemploymentchallengeswefaceasacountry. Wemustalltakeresponsibilityforempoweringthenextgenerationand ensuringtheirsuccess Itisuptoeachandeveryoneofustoprovidethe necessaryresourcesandsupporttohelpouryouthachievetheirfullpotential. Onlythencanwebuildabrighterandmoreprosperousfutureforall Amb (Dr)AminaMohamed PatronofALIVEFoundation