Ebenezer Opoku-Yeboah is an engineering enthusiast working in the mining industry. He is a registered engineering superintendent with Ghana Chamber of Mines. He obtained his sectional engineers certification in April 2011, but has twenty years of experience in both mobile and fixed plants, specifically focusing on maintenance and installation works.
He is presently employed by Gold Field Ghana Tarkwa as Chief Engineer and is presiding over Maintenance and Projects. He has been with them for six years.
His role as Chief Engineer began in December 2011, managing the strategic operations of the engineering department. He worked closely with capital improvement projects and lent his expertise to system upgrades at the mines.
Ebenezer says he has acquired the maintenance skills that are sorely lacking in the industry at the moment. He believes that those in the industry should hone the specific technical skills relevant to the projects they are working on. He comments that in reality many graduates understand the theory, but seldom know how to practically apply it. Ebenezer’s experience and practical approach, therefore, have been in demand.
Ebenezer is seemingly a jack of all trades - but he paints a clear picture of what the modern day engineering superintendent must do to remain relevant in their industries. He said:
“My daily tasks include supervising and making sure people deliver on their assigned tasks safely - we also have prescribed meetings where feedback is given. I also ensure the availability of needed parts, exact statutory compliance guidelines, ensure the strategic plans of the day are achieved by my engineers, oversee staff coaching and mentoring, ensure budgetary compliance, check maintenance backlogs and attend management meetings.”
Education is an essential mechanism to achieving success in your life, Ebenezer believes. He has a management degree, but wondered how to further his education alongside full time work. Using good old Google he found the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) with a platform of learning which would facilitate his busy life: it employs an interactive and online approach to engineering education. It delivers live content and provides access to labs remotely.
Before or after his working day Ebenezer attended his live lectures and studied towards the Advanced Diploma of Plant Engineering. The fit was perfect for him - when he needed to work he worked, and thanks to the flexibility of EIT’s online learning platform, when he had time to study, he studied.
“I spent 18 months doing all the modules. Course assignments and peer interactions were all effectively tailored in the best manner to meet the industry requirements for the training of engineers and technicians. The course made me time conscious and always prompted me to follow a daily schedule. It puts you in ‘focus mode’.”
Now that he has graduated he intends to coach his team using his newly acquired skill and knowledge. And in future he is unsure what qualification he would next like to pursue, but is absolutely clear that by keeping abreast of the changes in technology and in his industry he will remain a valuable engineering employee and manager.