Case Studies: I

First of a new breed of Automobile Engineers

An animated story of our experience with university graduates undergoing a training program designed to empower unemployed youths.

Not all wood is suitable for the manufacture of mercury.

Pythagoras of Samos

Case Studies: I

First of a new breed of Automobile Engineers

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CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Those that came

3.0 The ten virgins- Blame it all on cash.

4.0 There are still nice guys!!!

5.0 Trainability

6.0 The training program

7.0 Enthusiasm unlimited

8.0 An then they were ten

9.0 Signal Over Load

10.0 Coefficient of unaccounted losses

11.0 And then they were seven

12.0 A march to the battle front – with five Spartans

13.0 Reflections on reality

Plate 1: Cross section of seminar participants

Plate 2: Model Dodge Hemi assembled during training

Plate 3: Mercedes KE Jetronic system

• Introduction

Some time in 2006, after extensive research on the state of automobile repair in the

Country, We conducted three seminars inviting students and graduates of higher institutions to partake in a pilot project aimed at developing promising graduates that can repair modern automobiles.

A total of about one thousand students and graduates attended the seminar in three

different locations in Nigeria namely, Choice Hotel, Awka, Presidential Hotel, Enugu, Modotels, Enugu .

The main theme of the seminar was to encourage the interested student or graduate to

join any automobile workshop on a part time basis so as to familiarize himself with various aspects of the industry.

After the short apprenticeship, they can then be trained to repair modern automobiles using modern tools and methods as well as manage a small workshop.

• Those that came

It is interesting to note that two female participants amazed us by really working with the roadside mechanics for a period of three months. They reported that the mechanics were quite excited to assist them once they knew they were graduates though the ladies complained about the inability of the mechanics to explain certain aspects of their work to them.

On the other hand, most of the male participants flatly refused to join any workshop. The

reasons given for not joining any workshop were as ingenious as they were silly.

Some complained that they were engineers already and that their lecturers assured them

that mere technicians should not be compared with them in any way. That it would soil

both their reputation and the institutions whence they came if they were caught dead in a

road side shop.

Another thought that the whole idea was to use the computer to repair vehicles by

plugging in a laptop or desktop and typing in some magical commands to fix the car, that this idea of touching spanners , grease and screw driver was too much to bear and left

immediately.

Yet another of the guys confided in us that he really liked to do as we advised but that his

main problem was his parents. Particularly, the Mom, being an important person in

their village would die of heart attack if their villagers knew that the son she sent to

to study engineering is now a mere mechanic.

Yet another who came from Port Harcourt thought that it was a job interview as he had

been looking for a job for over two years and apologized for even coming now he knew

what was on board and quickly fled back to the city of Port Harcourt to pick up a job with a Bank.