Preliminaries of the Africa Tech Challenge (ATC) competition took place on Tuesday at the Technical University of Kenya with six teams out of the 18 making it through.
The six teams include Kenyatta University, Nyeri Technical Training Institute, Kabete Technical Training Institute, Kabete Technical Training Institute, Rift Valley Technical Training Institute and Kenya Technical Teachers College. The 18 teams taking part in this contest represent various technical training institutes and universities in Kenya and they were chosen following an intensive worldwide recruitment process.
The contest, which started on July 28, is mainly about participants producing a spare part of the lathe machine, which is an essential machine in engineering. Marks are awarded on the amount of raw materials used, accuracy, skill and cost of production. The remaining groups afterwards undergo intensive two-week training from Chinese experts on how to utilize the raw materials and machines in addition to the best techniques to use during the contest.
The finals will be held and the winner crowned in a colorful ceremony.A cash prize of $100,000 in addition to a manufacturing contract by a Chinese company will be awarded to the winning team after the competition.
Besides gaining priceless experience and sharpening their skills, the students will also have the chance to interact with business leaders during the ATC talks, which are meant to mentor and guide the participants. The talks will feature various financial advisors, business leaders entrepreneurs and CEO’s.
