The Oracle Kenya team, led by Country Director Mr. David Bunei, hosted a skills training workshop on Oracle Primavera P6 for construction and engineering project management at the invitation of the Department of Real Estate, Construction Management, and Quantity Surveying- Faculty of Built Environment and Design.  The training held on Tuesday 29th March 2023 at the University Towers and virtually attracted more 500 Construction and Engineering students from the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Technical University of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and Rongo University, among others, attended the workshop.

The students were trained on how to use the Primavera P6 Enterprise Project Portfolio Management software. This free certified course is self-paced, and students will have unlimited access to teaching and learning resources such as Tutorial videos, as well as the curriculum that has been carefully developed by Oracle Academy through the Oracle Skills development initiative. At each stage, students will be examined and issued a certificate.

Mr. David Bunei, a University of Nairobi alumnus, discussed the essential role that technology adoption continues to play in shaping the world of work. "No one can achieve greatness on their own; collaborations like this one with the University are critical; we leverage our strengths to bring out the best in each other." Mr. Bunei also challenged students to aggressively seek collaborations with people from all fields and develop partnerships that will not only build relationships but will also have a positive impact on the globe.

"I encourage all students to cultivate an innovation culture, collaborate with many people, and participate in this training to gain the necessary digital skills that will allow you to provide comprehensive solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems."

Prof. Stephen Kiama, Vice Chancellor, praised the University of Nairobi's long-standing collaboration with Oracle Kenya, noting, "The University of Nairobi and the Oracle Academy, have a vibrant partnership geared towards promoting Industry-Academia linkages." The University is eager to collaborate with industry to provide relevant skills to our graduates so that they leave the University market ready." Prof. Kiama also urged students to acquire appropriate skills that correspond to industry requirements in order to get a competitive advantage in the industry.

Prof. Lilac Osanjo, Dean of Built Environment and Design, expressed her delight about the endless potential that the students will acquire by participating in the program.

The host, Arch Peter Njeru, Chairman of the Department of Real Estate, Construction Management, and Quantity Surveying, encouraged the students to take on the challenge and develop the vital skills they will be exposed to as part of the program. "We have partnered with Oracle, the country's leading software company, to train our students to use the most up-to-date software on the market." We are dedicated to the capacity development of our employees and students, who will greatly benefit from mastering the Oracle Primavera software.

On his part, UoN ICT Director Mr. Paul Kariuki said UoN enjoys a long-standing partnership with Oracle and the institution has been using the Oracle Database since 2010. “As a University we continue to equip our students with the necessary digital skills to prepare them for the job market,” Mr. Kariuki said.

The training was moderated by the Construction and Real Estate Students Association (CRESA) team