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Kraatz and Poly ink agreement

L to R standing: Dr Rajaram Swaminathan (HoD: Mechanical Engineering), Prof Samuel John (Dean: School of Engineering), Mr Khumalo Kapelwa (Industry Liaison Officer: Cooperative Education Unit). Seated: (Left) Dr Andrew Niikondo (Vice Rector: Academic Affairs and Research, Polytechnic of Namibia); (Right) Roberto January (Senior Human Capital Practitioner, Kraatz Marine).

The Polytechnic of Namibia signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with engineering service provider Kraatz Marine earlier last week.

The MoA makes provision for attachment of students and academics to Kraatz Marine for Capacity-building exercises, research and teaching and learning.
Dr Niikondo, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and Research at the Polytechnic of Namibia at the occasion said that the Polytechnic, through the Cooperative Education Unit (CEU), has over the years advocated for strong partnerships between academia and private sector as a means of ensuring classroom education remains relevant to industry needs through the practical exposure students gain during Work Integrated Learning (WIL). “This signing is happening at an opportune time as Marine Engineering is a field that we plan on introducing in the near future; an industry partner with your long standing experience will surely benefit the development of our Marine Engineering programme,” added Niikondo. Roberto January, Senior Human Capital Practitioner of Kraatz Marine added, that the company was proud of the agreement and encouraged other private, public and academic partnerships to transpire in Namibia. “Kraatz, being part of the O&L Group, shares the purpose of ‘Creating a future, enhancing life’ for all Namibians. This can only be achieved by giving our Namibian youth an opportunity to practice what they have learned, thereby gaining valuable experience and become a valuable asset to any future employer. We look forward to a long-term partnership that will enhance our Namibian skill-set in marine engineering, amongst others,” he added.

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