Admission Requirements and Job Opportunities for Mechanical Engineering in Ghana

Admission Requirements and Job Opportunities for Mechanical Engineering in Ghana

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

The Methuselah of all Engineering fields. Grate some mathematics and slice some pieces of engineering physics. Blend and add to the simmering mixture of chopped computing and diced material science. Smelling that aroma of mechanical engineering? Right!

The sensor staring right at you? The mechanical engineer. That drone whose sound almost scared you stiff at that important function? The mechanical engineer. Or that robot you saw in Wuhan busily distributing food to the quarantined? Kudos to the mechanical engineer. When the lights almost went out as the bride was about to say ‘I do’, but because of the true and faithful servant called a power plant, she is now a happily wedded woman! A toast to the mechanical engineer!

Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest of all engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers produce systems that transcend across all disciplines. Their dexterity in areas of teamwork skills, commercial awareness, and ability to work under pressure place them on a very high pedestal on the job market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently projected that the employment rate of Mechanical Engineers will escalate by nine percent by the year 2026.

KEY SKILLS

COMMON SKILLS GAINED FROM A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE INCLUDE:

• Technical expertise
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Very strong numeracy
• Data analysis
• General IT skills
• Self-management, including planning and meeting deadlines
• Professional communication, spoken and written
• Teamwork
• Creativity and integrated problem-solving
• Computing and enterprise
• Awareness of relevant contexts, including business and environmental issues

HOW ABOUT MASTERING MECHANICAL ENGINEERING?

Thinking about obtaining a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering? Already thinking about yourself as that great mechanical engineer who will be a human ATM spewing out huge bundles of money to your family and friends? Well, you will surely make money, yes, but then it does not come easy. Just as plants compete for light and water to survive, mechanical engineers highly compete with themselves at every facet of their career. Since those you are competing with are undergraduates who are seemingly “lower” than you, obtaining a Master’s Degree sets you apart from them and places you in a whole different league. Even though one main caveat is that the Master’s Degree takes time, you will be open and more up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies, industry skills that are in “vogue”, software and research concerning Mechanical Engineering. Talking about moving forward in your company, a Master’s Degree is that X-Factor, that preeminence, that grants you the unmistakable distinction from your colleague seated next to you. Still, thinking of those four and five-figure salaries? Well, it is said that engineers who obtain a Master’s Degree earn a whooping twenty percent more than undergraduates. So, way to go!

MY DREAM UNIVERSITY IS STILL NOT OPENED DUE TO RESTRICTIONS. CAN I STILL TAKE THE COURSE ONLINE?

In the wake of the novel Corona Virus, the traditional teaching methodologies have undergone some massive alterations with the characteristic rise of electronic learning, whereby tutoring is undergone remotely. Mechanical Engineering is not an exception among the lineup of courses that have been integrated into the electronic study program. While you may not get hands-on laboratory experience, every aspect of your e-learning conforms with campus classes. With over a hundred plus sites to choose from, studying mechanical engineering from the comfy furniture of your room has been made possible.

WHAT KIND OF JOBS CAN I GET WITH A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE?

Come on, even that vulcanizer across the street knows the answer to this question. Becoming a mechanical engineer is the most straightforward career path for someone who has studied mechanical engineering. You will become a highly sought-after professional who brings into existence mechanical devices such as engines and automotive parts, electric generators, and air conditioners.

Mechanical Engineering Salary in Ghana

According to money.usnews.com, Mechanical engineers made a median salary of $88,430 in the year 2019. The best-paid twenty-five percent made $111,980, while the lowest-paid twenty-five percent made $70,280. In addition to region and education, factors such as specialty, industry, and employer affect a mechanical engineer’s salary. The places of employment with the highest average annual salaries for this career are waste treatment and disposal ($123,100); oil and gas extraction ($122,830); insurance carriers ($112,850); remediation and other waste management services ($112,500); and petroleum and coal products manufacturing ($110,900).

However, according to averagesalarysurvey.com’s May 2021 survey, the average salary for a Mechanical Engineer in Ghana my homeland is GHC 190,430 per year. The most typical earning is GHC 40,529.00. All data are based on six salary surveys. Based on education, high salaries are received by people with Bachelor’s Degrees with an amount of GHC 212, 327.00. The second most paid educational level is college graduates with a salary of GHC 80, 943.00.

Different experiences affect earning as well. People with 4-8 Years of Experience receive a mouth-watering salary of GHC 448,817.00. Employees with 0-1 year of experience receive GHC 88,666.00

ARE THERE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERS?

Fraternizing with your fellow mechanical engineers, whether in your specialty or not, is very vital for professional progress. These professional associations set certain values that provide career services for their members. A classical example is the Ghana Association of Mechanical Engineers. Internationally also, associations exist such as the Society for Experimental Mechanics, American Welding Society, Combustion Institute, and Society of Automotive Engineers.

BACHELOR BSc MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT KNUST ENTRY REQUIREMENT

WASSCE APPLICANTS

Credit Passes in THREE (3) Core Subjects: English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science and Credit passes in THREE (3) of the following Elective Subjects: Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry.
For J, K, L, and M, Programs, the same requirements as above except that Applied Electricity OR Electronics are acceptable in place of Chemistry. Also in the case of M, Biology is acceptable in place of Chemistry.

Furthermore, for Programs E, and F any of the following is acceptable in place of Chemistry; Metal Work, Auto Mechanics, Applied Electricity, Technical Drawing, and Engineering Science.
Also, for Programs P, Q, and R any of the following is acceptable in place of Chemistry; Metalwork, Auto Mechanics, Applied Electricity, Technical Drawing, Building Construction, and Woodwork.

For Program A, any of the following are acceptable in place of Chemistry; Technical Drawing and Engineering Science, General Agriculture and Biology.
Applicants in this category who do not have Chemistry must obtain Grade B3 in Integrated Science.

A/O LEVEL APPLICANTS

FIVE (5) credits at O’ Level including English and Mathematics, plus,
EITHER
Passes at A’ Level in Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, and Physics with an ‘O’ Level credit in Chemistry.
OR
Passes at A’ Level in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry

MATURE APPLICANTS

Applicants must be 25 years at the time of submitting the Application.
EITHER
Five (5) credits at the O’ Level including English Language, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry.
OR
WASSCE/SSSCE credits in THREE (3) Core Subjects (English Language, Mathematics, and Integrated Science), plus credits in THREE (3) Elective Subjects (Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry). For Program, Applicants must have at least THREE (3) years of working experience.

Mechanical Engineering Jobs in Ghana

Mechanical engineering deals with the design, development, installation, operation, and maintenance of anything that has moving parts. Because of this, you’ll find relevant opportunities in a range of sectors, including:

1. AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

Nursing the idea of becoming the next Elon Musk? Or the Neil Armstrong the second? You’re in the right field then! Aerospace engineers are responsible for the design of structures and systems from concept through to production throughout the company.

 In the wind industry, aerospace engineers have also been involved in the layout and energy production estimates of wind plants. Aerospace engineers design, test and supervise the manufacture of turbine blades and rotors, and conduct aerodynamics assessments.

They are frequently involved in site selection and work closely with meteorologists to determine the optimal configuration of turbines at a wind farm site.

• AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

You drive your all-new sleek Mercedes Benz 4MATIC out of the dealership lot, with absolutely no care in the world. Before you even start opening the sound systems of your new car, get down and say ‘thank you to the automotive engineers standing at the rear of your mirror. You’re asking me why?

It was the automotive engineers who designed your vehicles and its subsystems. It was their brainwork that brought all these sleek features of your new car into existence. They went through sleepless nights preparing cost estimates, design specifications, analyzing environmental safety of your new car, developing testing procedures and investigating product failures all at the same time!

For indeed I say, if it was not the automotive engineer on your side, let your new car now say!

• NUCLEAR ENGINEERING

If a team-based learning environment is where you thrive intellectually, then welcome to the field of nuclear engineering! In here, you will be working in multi-disciplinary teams to come up with technical solutions concerning problems associated with the designing, building and running of nuclear power plants.

You will also be undergoing an important task called decommissioning, which deals with storage and disposal of radioactive material used in nuclear power plants.

Other specialties under Nuclear Engineering include: health and safety specialist, Instrumentation and control engineer, project manager and quality engineer.

         4.     CLINICAL TECHNOLOGIST

Just imagine! Doctors and nurses running after mechanical engineers to assist them in medical care. Practicality is the main factor in this particular specialty of mechanical engineering. Using your knowledge acquired from physics or engineering to operate, in order to maintain and monitor hospital equipment and clinical materials.

Clinical technologists, also known as medical technologists can work in the areas of radiation physics, where they test and maintain X-ray, radiotherapy physics, where they maintain specialist devices or rehabilitation engineering, where they adjust and service equipment used to support patient recovery.

With full working hours summing up to 37.5 hours per week, clinical technologists are generally responsible for the smooth and effective running of specialist devices and equipment.