STEM Career Fair and Symposium Celebrating UNESCO’s 10th Africa Engineering Week

As part of UNESCO's 10^th Africa Engineering Week, the association of Namibian Women in Engineering (NAMWIE) celebrated the event in partnership with UNESCO, establishing a forum to encourage learners to pursue engineering careers and highlighting the significance of engineering in addressing social-economic challenges and opportunities for sustainable development.

The event, themed, "Engineering the Future for Sustainable Development of Namibia," was successfully hosted on 17-18 September 2024, at Chairman Mao Zedong Schooland The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)offices at Eros Airport, Windhoek. TheScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Career Fair and Symposium aimed to connect learners in secondary schools with professionals in the fields of STEM, and was attended by thirty-six (36) female learners from nine (9) schools.

Honorable Ms. Faustina Caley, Deputy Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture delivered a keynote address at the event, emphasizing the important role engineers play in building the nation, improving quality of life, and ensuring sustainable development. She further highlighted the importance of increasing access to engineering fields for all, particularly promoting gender diversity among engineers in Africa. Other STEM professionals from various engineering disciplines also attended the opening event and gave informative career advice to the young aspiring engineers in attendance, as well as shared useful insights into engineering through presentations. The topics covered during the event included engineering solutions for sustainable development, electrical engineering, water resources engineering, andaeronautical engineering. Following the presentations, students from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) provided career recommendations, after which all learners participated in an interactive STEM quiz. Fifteen (15) prizes were awarded to the learners with the highest scores.

The learners also had the exclusive opportunity to tour the NCAA control centre situated at Eros Airport. The purpose of the visit was to introduce the learners to air traffic control systems, which are necessary to ensure the effectiveness and security of air travel. During the tour, learners were taught the fundamental ideas that guide and inform air traffic controllers' judgements about aircraft movements in the airspace and on the ground. Topics covered included radar technology and communication systems that ensure operational safety.

The UNESCO Africa Engineering Week, observed yearly across the African continent, is an important program aimed at promoting engineering solutions and creating awareness about the value of engineering among students, community, and policymakers. This event is critical in establishing an environment of learning and sharing of technical knowledge by offering a forum for debate and collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the engineering industry. At the national level, the commemorations aim to inspire young people, particularly girls, by highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of Namibia's successful female engineers. By presenting these role models, the event hopes to entice young women to pursue careers in various engineering fields. This is especially relevant considering the low representation of women in STEM disciplines. Students are encouraged to explore numerous engineering courses through workshops, presentations, and interactive sessions, allowing them to picture themselves as future leaders and innovators in this crucial field.