Schneider bridges engineering skills gap with mentorship

A six-month mentorship programme is pairing electrical engineering students in Nigeria and other African markets with Schneider Electric engineers as they prepare to enter the energy and technology industries.

Schneider Electric launched the Advancing Energy Tech programme in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. In Nigeria, the initiative operates at the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology, where participating students receive one-on-one guidance from professionals working in the sector.

The programme targets the gap between university education and workplace expectations. Students learn about working across teams, engineering standards, compliance, professional conduct and the demands of industry. They also receive help identifying potential employers and the skills those employers seek. Building professional networks, personal brands and elevator pitches forms part of the preparation before graduation.

Participating institutions nominate students, who are matched with mentors according to their interests and career goals. The programme begins with a group session, either in person or online, and continues through six months of structured individual mentoring. It operates under VolunteerIn, the Schneider Electric Foundation’s global platform for employee-led giving and skills-based volunteering.

The company cited labour-market concerns in Nigeria and beyond. The State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025, produced by Plan International Nigeria and ActionAid Nigeria, put youth unemployment at 53 per cent, with more than 80 million young Nigerians out of work. The Cengage Group’s 2025 Graduate Employability Report found that 30 per cent of surveyed graduates had obtained full-time work related to their degrees. Funmilayo Olakitan, Schneider Electric’s access to education programme coordinator for West Africa, said the initiative was designed to strengthen the link between education and employment.

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