SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRIC A’S DE VELOPMENT MARCH 2014 86062 Improving the Quality of Engineering Education and Training in Africa Africa’s Need for Engineering KEY MESSAGES Sub-Saharan Africa seriously lacks n Engineering can help Africa unlock its huge potential for economic engineering capacity and relies growth and development and make faster progress toward the heavily on imported expertise Millennium Development Goals. for two reasons—insufficient n However, there is a serious lack of engineering capacity in Africa and output from training institutions, and poor quality education heavy reliance on imported expertise in engineering. and lack of practical experience n Higher education institutions need to change their approach to among graduates. Yet Africa teaching engineering so that graduates are creative problem-solvers. also has pressing development Engineering courses also need to be oriented towards market and needs that require engineers. First, infrastructure needs to be development needs. built in step with the region’s n Women are under-represented in engineering education, constituting economic growth trajectory, less than 10 percent of the student population in Ghana, Nigeria, and including roads, bridges, buildings, Zimbabwe in 2010. airports, and harbors. Second, n Few African countries have established a robust accreditation system. industrial development should be accelerated, especially in In addition to improving national accreditation, regional accreditation manufacturing, so that the region of engineering professionals should be encouraged so that engineers becomes a net exporter rather have greater mobility within Africa. than importer of manufactured n A proposed World Bank initiative, the Partnership for Skills in Applied goods. Third, Africa’s ever- increasing energy requirements Sciences, Engineering and Technology (PASET) will build capacity for should be met to overcome acute technical, vocational and higher education in African countries. power shortages. Fourth, the region should take control over mining its rich natural resources— and Technology (PASET) in Africa The State of Africa’s especially minerals, oil and gas— to build capacity in technical, Engineering Education and these resources should be vocational, and higher education Three important reports offer refined before export. Finally, it with the help of partner countries a clear view of the state of is estimated that a staggering in Asia and Latin America. The engineering and engineering 2.5 million new engineers and study (i) assesses the current education in Africa. In 2012, the technicians will be needed just state of engineering education Royal Academy of Engineering to achieve a single Millennium and training, including technical published a comprehensive Development Goal; that of and vocational education report entitled Engineers for Africa: improved access to clean water and training (TVET), in Africa; Identifying Engineering Capacity and sanitation. (ii) surveys existing regional Needs in Sub-Saharan Africa. The This brief is based on a initiatives in terms of objectives, report is based on a literature forthcoming study commissioned coverage, approaches, and review, an electronic survey by the World Bank to inform a potential; and (iii) examines of professional engineers and proposed Partnership for Skills accreditation of engineering decision-makers from 18 African in Applied Sciences, Engineering programs. countries, and interviews with engineering stakeholders with “Lack of capacity at every level of the (engineering) profession is a experience of leading projects substantive obstacle to achieving almost all development goals, from in various (largely Anglophone) African countries. In 2010, the provision of basic sanitation to the reduction of rural poverty.” UNESCO published a landmark – Engineers for Africa: Identifying Engineering report entitled Engineering: Issues, Capacity Needs in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2012 Challenges & Opportunities for Development, with contributions from global experts. Another study, undertaken on behalf of the African n Weak availability of statistics and What will it take to Technology Policy Studies Network indicators on engineering at the Develop Excellent in 2005, evaluated the capacity of national level. Engineering Education? engineering education in Ghana, n Need for public awareness about Nigeria and Zimbabwe to prepare the role engineering can play as ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING engineering graduates for their role a driver of social and economic Several African countries such as in industrial development. development and innovation. Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, From the three reports, the broad There has also been increasing and Senegal, have assessed their state of engineering education awareness in African countries skills needs, as revealed in PASET and training in Africa can be that technical and vocational consultations held in 2013. Some summarised as follows: education and training (TVET) have also developed specific n A shortage of engineers, yet plays an important role in national human resources plans. Successful engineering graduates remain development. It is identified as an implementation of such plans unemployed. For example, Nigeria area of focus in the African Union’s requires better and more regular produces 3,500 engineers a year, Plan of Action for the Second national data on employment and a modest number relative to its Decade of Education for Africa institutional output. It also requires population, but there is significant (2006-2015). The African Union institutional mechanisms across unemployment among them. Commission developed a strategy several ministries to assess industry to revitalize TVET in Africa, adopted demand. n Lack of funds to procure laboratory equipment and to support other by AU education ministers in 2007. facilities, and outdated curricula The following issues were identified: GREATER QUALITY and methods of teaching. n AND RELEVANCE Poor perception of TVET, n Lack of academic staff with considered an option only for the The paradox in Africa is that industrial experience; difficulty academically less endowed, and although there is a shortage of in recruiting and retaining staff gender stereotyping (for example, engineers, engineering graduates because of poor salaries and dressmaking for girls). remain unemployed or are under- employment conditions. employed. A key reason for this is n Lack of instructor training; need the poor quality of engineering n Weak university-industry to link TVET both to general education. Existing institutions partnership and lack of education and to the labor market. need to urgently upgrade their opportunities for industrial n Harmonization of programs and infrastructure and laboratories. experience for engineering qualifications to facilitate mobility Publicly funded African tertiary students. within Africa. education institutions have for n Graduates tend to have weak management, entrepreneurial, and communication skills. Box 1. The skill-mix ratio in engineering n Women are under-represented in For the engineering industry to operate effectively, there needs to be a skill- mix ratio between three categories of personnel—professional engineers, engineering institutions, forming technicians, and craftspeople. The International Labour Organisation less than 10 percent of the student recommends a ratio of 1:5:25 between the three. There is a serious lack of data population in Ghana, Nigeria and on the skill mix in African countries; available data from South Africa show Zimbabwe in 2005. disproportionately few technicians. 2 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLS FOR AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT several decades suffered from Engineering is often classified under REGIONAL ACCREDITATION lack of investment and their Science and Technology; making AND MOBILITY infrastructure has deteriorated. it difficult to address it precisely. It Initiatives that foster regional Laboratory equipment is out of is important for African countries mobility of professional date or non-functional; libraries do to set up a national database of engineers within Africa should not have the appropriate books both output from engineering be encouraged. Currently, and journals; and availability of ICT institutions as well as personnel most accreditation bodies and computers is still limited. employed in engineering at various have only national jurisdiction. The curricula of engineering levels. However, there are examples courses also need to be revised. of regional cooperation in Most of them are outdated, lack LINKAGES WITH INDUSTRY engineering regulation. Recently, originality and are not necessarily All studies on improving the Engineering Regulation relevant to the African context. engineering education highlight Boards (ERBs) of Kenya, Tanzania Very few African universities the importance of strong and Uganda signed a Mutual involve industry and other university-industry linkages. A Recognition Agreement by which stakeholders to help revise their recent study undertaken by the programs accredited in one engineering curricula. Teaching Association of African Universities country would be recognised in methodology also needs to be and the Association of Universities the other two. In Francophone improved. It would be advisable and Colleges of Canada found that Africa, the African and Malagasy to adopt the Problem-Based while several higher education Council for Higher Education Learning approach in engineering institutions in Africa are taking (CAMES), which groups some 18 education, because it could result steps to link with industry (taken countries, has a program for the in a noticeable improvement in in its broad sense to include public recognition and equivalence of students’ ability to solve problems bodies and other stakeholders), diplomas (PRED) awarded in all the and their acquisition of ‘soft’ skills others have limited experience, countries. such as good communication, expertise and resources to do so. team spirit, creativity and Africa could well aim to establish a Representatives from industry adaptability. regional body for the accreditation should be invited to serve on of engineering qualifications by Lecturers need to be trained to engineering boards or even on building up from sub-regional teach well. For many, getting higher administrative bodies of a good Master’s degree in the initiatives. For instance, the institutions. Also, professionals appropriate field, acquiring from business and industry can engineering accreditation bodies some industrial experience, and be used as adjunct professors. Not of the other East African countries, undergoing pedagogical training only would this make up for the Rwanda and Burundi, could be would better equip them for their acute shortage of academic staff in brought on board. In Southern jobs. most higher education institutions Africa, the very well-established but it would also give students Engineering Council of South ENABLING GOVERNMENT valuable practical exposure Africa (ECSA), which already works POLICIES and provide direct contact with with accreditation bodies in industry. Botswana and Namibia, could take Industrial policies are required the lead and establish a Mutual that create jobs, promote Industry’s most important Recognition Agreement by inviting enterprise development and contribution is to provide practical other countries in the subregion improve skills training. Specifically, training to students at two stages: to join in. A similar approach a statutory requirement for during their course of study in could be adopted in West Africa, the professional registration of the form of industrial attachment potentially led by the Council for engineers should be created and which exposes them to the the Regulation of Engineering in enforced; investments made in world of work and subsequently higher education institutions to facilitates their employment; and, Nigeria (COREN). improve engineering education; on completing the course, to These initiatives should be and the ‘brain drain’ of engineers meet the necessary professional supported by the respective mitigated. registration requirements. Regional Economic Community. IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN AFRICA 3 REGIONAL ENGINEERING by appropriate training to enable by pedagogical training of EDUCATION AND TRAINING a graduate to practice as a faculty. Similarly, except at the Several recent regional initiatives professional engineer. Regional International Institute for Water are underway to address initiatives in engineering therefore and Environmental Engineering some of Africa’s engineering cover both education and training. (2iE) in Burkina Faso, there is no challenges. These initiatives As Table 1 shows, most initiatives regional initiative to help place need to be supported, nurtured are fairly recent and their activities engineering students for industrial and extended. Two important have yet to develop fully. Most training. This is especially important common considerations are the faculty development activities because institutions find it difficult harmonisation of approaches relate to upgrading of academic to place students locally for training and collaboration among African qualifications, usually to the in industry. Given the importance institutions. Here, the PASET partner doctoral level. What is lacking is and significant activities in, for countries can play a supportive means by which young engineering example, the extractive industries, and catalytic role. In engineering, faculty can spend some time construction and ICTs in several just as in medicine, education in industry to gain industrial African countries, such placement and training go hand in hand. experience. Also, although there could greatly help students to Improving university education in are initiatives for curricula reform, gain meaningful experience and engineering must be accompanied they are not accompanied subsequent jobs. Table 1. Summary of regional initiatives Year Initiative Broad Actual or Proposed Activities Established Higher Education Initiatives African Network of Scientific & Technological Institutional collaboration; publication of research; faculty 1 1980 Institutions (ANSTI) development 2 UNESCO Engineering Initiative (UEI) 2011 Faculty development; curricula reform; QA & accreditation 3 Pan African University (PAU) 2011 Institutional networking for graduate training and research 4 Tuning Africa Project 2011 Curricula reform; improving quality International Institute for Water and 5 2007 Training and research at all levels; linkages with industry Environmental Engineering (2iE) Networking conferences for improving engineering education; 6 African Engineering Education Association (AEEA) 2006 advocacy; involvement of diaspora; student exchanges University Science, Humanities and Engineering 7 1996 Regional research collaboration; faculty development Partnerships in Africa (USHEPiA) 8 Regional Initiative in Science & Education (RISE) 2008 Institutional networking for research; faculty development 9 Africa Engineers Forum (AEF) 1995 Networking among engineering organisations Federation of African Engineering Organisations 10 2012 Networking among engineering organisations (FAEO) Africa-UK Engineering for Development 11 2010 Collaboration among engineers; curricula reform Partnership TVET Initiatives Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics Networking among TVET institutions; policy advocacy; 12 1977 in Africa (CAPA) staff development 13 African Union-India Cooperation on TVET 2008 Setting up of TVET institutions Vocational Training Pilot Programme in 14 2008 Capacity building of unemployed youth Post-Conflict Countries Innovation in Vocational Education & Skills Increasing access to TVET through open & distance 15 2010 Training (INVEST) learning MORE ON THE TOPIC • Engineers for Africa: Identifying Engineering Capacity Needs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012 • Engineering: Issues, Challenges & Opportunities for Development, UNESCO 2010 • Forthcoming, Mohamedbhai, Goolam. Improving the Quality of Engineering Education in Sub-Saharan Africa, World Bank, 2014.