The Institution of Engineers Rwanda (IER), in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, through the Africa Catalyst Project, is conducting training on “Communication Skills for Engineering Professionals” in Rwanda. The five-day training, which started on May 2, 2024, shall equip trainees with effective communication skills that are critical for their career development. According to Cecile Uwimana, a member of the Institution of Engineers Rwanda (IER) and project manager at Africa Catalyst Project in Rwanda, the needed soft skills include effective communication, writing effective cover letters for engineering positions, reporting and presentation skills, job interviews, among others. The programme aims to empower engineering professionals for career success by boosting competency profiles of responsibilities, management, and leadership with communication and interpersonal skills. The initiative is designed to empower engineering graduates in Rwanda with the essential skills and knowledge required for successful careers through a combination of theoretical concepts, practical exercises, and real-world case studies. Participants will also gain insights into building successful teams, understanding team dynamics, and strategies for effective collaboration as well as prioritising tasks and managing time efficiently. The exercise will enhance the trainees’ communication skills, both in written and oral forms to effectively convey technical information, write professional emails, reports, and documentation, and skills in conflict resolution and negotiation for a harmonious working environment. Uwimana said the Africa Catalyst Project, started in 2017, will help young graduate engineers get internships and membership to join the labour market before embarking on training on soft skills needed in the profession. “We bridge the gap between academy and industry through facilitating internships. Over 70 per cent of graduates that we facilitated to get internships got jobs from companies where we had deployed them. Communication skills for such engineering professionals are also needed since they increase confidence, public speaking, and networking with other professionals, passing job interviews, CV preparation, and others,” she said. She said that 150 engineering professionals will be trained in soft skills from May to November and 50 people will be trained in each cohort. The first cohort of 50 people began on May 2 while the second and third are slated for August and November respectively. Uwimana said the programme will build a strong foundation for career success in their respective engineering fields. “Participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the evolving landscape of the engineering industry, establish a network with peers and trainers, foster a sense of community within the engineering profession, and enhance their problem-solving abilities and creativity through practical exercises and real-world case studies.” The training techniques will focus on case studies and solving actual problems through guided examples. Trainers will use theoretical bases extended onto the practical examples of successful and mistake stories backed up with videos and tabletop exercises. Engineer Papias Dedeki Kazawadi, the President of the Federation of Africa Engineering Organisations (FAEO), who is among the training facilitators, said that gaining expertise in the engineering profession requires soft skills, cheerleaders, mentoring, coaching, and more, in addition to skills and knowledge gained from the school. Participants will also acquire an overview of the engineering industry, understand various sectors and roles within it, and explore current trends and innovations in engineering, fostering a forward-thinking mind-set. Blandine Umutoni, an engineer in road construction who graduated from university two years ago, said soft skills are key in career development and gaining expertise. “Soft skills are much needed in the labour market. This is because people study at university and graduate but struggle in the labour market due to a lack of such soft skills. They struggle with public speaking skills to express what they do. These skills will help increase our performance in the labour market. Improving communication, and interpersonal skills will enable us to expand the network as we strive to become entrepreneurs in the engineering sector,” she said. Engineer Martin Mutabazi said the engineering profession requires upgrading knowledge and skills daily. “I believe every profession requires effective communication. Some lack confidence yet they have great knowledge or big projects to express. These soft skills can help us achieve our goals as engineers, and expand our networks with different professionals,” he said.
