Samsung Engineering academy graduates 72 technicians

Samsung Engineering Academy has graduated 72 technicians, having
completed one-year specialised training.

The technicians were trained to repair and service modern digital
electronic devices such as laptops, LCD televisions, smart- phones,
refrigerators, air conditioners, among other appliances.

They were drawn from Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja in
Lagos State.

Each graduate received a certificate of completion and certificates of
achievement were also presented to 14 students for their academic
brilliance. The top four achievers were awarded prizes comprising
various Samsung electronics products.

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, launched Samsung
Engineering Academy two years ago to fast-track employability of
African youths into the electronics job market.

Miss Ronke Azeez, the Special Adviser to the governor, Lagos Eko
Secondary Education Project, said the new graduates were well poised
to work in the electronics industry either as employees in repair
centres, assembly lines or as independent entrepreneurs.

She said, "It is heart-warming to see the graduation of the first set
of students from the academy. These graduates have been equipped with
the excellent skills to build a better future for themselves and to
play an integral part in driving the economy of the state forward. The
partnership between Lagos Eko Secondary School Education Project and
Samsung Electronics is one of quality and excellence."

While appreciating Samsung for maintaining an international standard
for the academy, Azeez appealed to Samsung to double its present
enrolment due to the high demand for such skills in Nigeria. She
observed that technicians that are more qualified were critical to the
country's development, noting that Nigeria is faced with an urgent
need to fill the supply and demand gap that has emerged in the
industry for technical skills.

The Managing Director, Samsung Electronics (West Africa), Mr. Brovo
Kim, said as Samsung expands into Africa, Nigerians are striving to
not only act ethically, but to positively impact the communities where
consumers live.

He said, "We believe we will have the greatest impact by connecting
our CSR initiatives to our history and core business. Skilled
graduates are key to helping us reach our business goals, providing us
with a workforce of technicians and exclusive service experts needed
to differentiate Samsung as a quality service-oriented company.

"With the goal to grow our business on the continent, we also know
that we have to sustain our level of innovation. This can only be
achieved if we invest in education to facilitate thought-leadership in
Africa."
Samsung Engineering Academy is a part of the global Samsung Hope for
Children Outreach programme, a one-year free training course, which is
aimed at improving the quality of technical education in public
secondary schools as part of its goal to train10, 000 electronics
engineers across Africa by 2015.

The pilot phase of Samsung Engineering Academy programmes started in
South Africa in 2011. It is also running in Ethiopia and Kenya with
plans to extend the initiative to more African countries by 2015.