SIEMENS International has partnered with a Zambian firm and invested more than K12 billion in establishing a plant that would allow Zambians get hands-on training in sophisticated computer operations to meet the increased demand in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Siemens business development manager Africa Douglas said in Kitwe yesterday his company had joined hands with Intelligent Systems Limited (ISL), a Zambian firm, to train Zambians after realising a gap in ITC competence in Zambia.
Mr Douglas said Siemens had a lot of automated machines control centres in Zambia especially with the mines and not enough Zambian technicians were trained to operate the sophisticated machines.
The machines are the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA), a large computer that controls all machines on the mines from underground to on-surface plants like crasher, concentrator and smelter.
Large mines in Zambia like Lumwana, KCM and Mopani heavily depended on Siemens’ TIA and yet few Zambians had the required expertise to handle such machines, which had resulted in people being sent outside the country for expensive training.
“Siemens motto in Zambia is uplifting technical competence and as a result we have invested $2.5 million in setting up a plant that would see Zambians trained to the level of the most competent person in Europe,” Mr Douglas said.
[Times of Zambia]
That is good news
I am assured that no kaponya will comment on this development.They suffer from development phobia.
This is great news.
This is the way forward.Thumbs up!
Good news. That’s the way forward.
# 2
they will not comment cos this calls for professionals to understand PLCs
Indeed great news….value addition.
#2 most peolple will comment when it is politics,when it is this kind of progress …..nada.Why then do we cry when our companies fold or end in foreign hands.
Siemens is a well-respected Germany Hi-Tech/Engineering company. They are indeed allover the world. It wouldn’t be a stretch to compare them with the likes of IBM, Microsoft, or Caterpillar, in terms of popularity and quality of their products. You will be hard pressed to visit most hospitals around the world and never come in contact with a “hi-tech medical machine” by Siemens—they are indeed a world leader in this area. Anyway, I digress!!
Nonetheless, it is good that they are willing to transfer this knowledge (Hi-Tech) to Zambia. Although it is only at the technician and not engineering level, it is still a good start and they need to be commended.