Quietly moving forward

Since we suspended our full time girls operations at AvTech, we have been busy working towards the

new Learning and Discovery Centre (planned to open in 2015). We don't get much time to blog, and are busy working to provide specific solutions to specific needs. As a part of our new strategy, we are working hand in hand with schools who believe in inspiration - and that the purpose of education is a step towards employment.

Last week we spoke at a local school where Patricia shared her story - and for some of the girls it was the first time they had seen or touched an electric drill!

As part of this speaking programme, Patricia delivers a modified version of the fun and interactive Stephen Taberner song (with his kind permission) re-titled 'Don't stand between a girl and her tools', accompanied by the Spanner and Screwdriver symbol with a 'female sign' embedded to the screwdriver (see back of Patricia's shirt). 

The words to the song are fun, and it is all about 'not allowing anything to stand in your way - because you never know when you might need it' - in other words -'decide what you want and go for it'. One thing is certain, and that is if anybody gets between Patricia and her tool set - they will wish they hadn't! Her passion and inspiration resulted in lots of questions and lots of inspiration.

We hope to soon have a YouTube video of the song to make you smile, and we hope to inspire you all!

Changing course...but not the destination

Patricia spends a great deal of time sharing her knowledge that has been gained over the past 7 years. Safety and appropriate personal protective equipment must be worn and used - even just one day exposure can change a persons whole approach to working with such tools. The skill set needed to successfully weld includes patience, precision, perseverance, outstanding hand-eye coordination and lots of attention to detail.

In the new year, AvTech will be shifting its focus away from full time courses and towards increasing exposure through short courses - to a wider range of candidates.

Patricia is planning some short (1 to 3 day) workshop exposure courses for teachers, lecturers and students from schools and universities around Ghana. Courses will cover welding, sheet metal working, milling, turning, how aircraft fly, how engines work as well as first aid and community health matters. We believe that linking STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) with increased health education is key to stimulating positive change in the community.  

With Patricia as a role model in these courses we are sure that 2014 will be a year of great impact.

If you are interested in helping to fund - or to assist with - these short courses please contact capt.yaw@gmail.com

Circuits.. a shocking concept

It amazes me how few people understand electricity. Especially electricity in automotive and aviation
applications where the chassis or airframe is used as one side of the circuit.

To help stimulate greater understanding we built a quick steel base board and introduced the young ladies to the joys of building innovative switch and light circuits.

This will move to the museum next year for visiting school groups to learn more from those learning today.

In the eye of the beholder...

It is unbelievable how many people find it difficult to represents a simple drawing of any object

placed in front of them, therefore all the ladies today were asked to sketch the side view of our CH701.

For a lot them, this was a struggle. I then asked everyone to help draw it up on the white board together and realised how easy it became for all.

A lot more effort was then made to do more, the whole desire to make it a reality was very pleasing.

Learning by doing

This morning four of the apprentices are operating the plasma to produce 40 new fence posts.

All loading, unloading and button pushing including Gantry clearance moments are carried out by the girls in turn.

Learning to make things and to operate complex machinery is all part of the learning to work and take responsibility that Avtech is all about.

Of course the programming and mathematics of the machine will come later on in their training.

And then there was 10....

For the first we have taken a large number of apprentices, eleven young ladies into the academy at the same time.

We took a slightly larger number knowing that, not everyone of them would make it through to the end of the four year training successfully.

Today, one of the girls decided to go back and write remedial exams in order to go into nursing.

When we heard the news and knowing that this young lady is very able and is doing very well at the academy, we wanted to know more about the decision but she said she would rather put it in writing so, this is what she wrote;

Lydia heads to Germany