The Women in Surveying (WIS) South West region on Wednesday organized a career talk to train no fewer than seventy students of some selected secondary schools in Oyo state.
The group also on Thursday donated some items to Oluyole Cheshire Home Ibadan as part of efforts to give back to the society.
The career talk, tagged, “1st Edition of the South West Regional Joint Career Talk”, according to the Western Coordinator of WIS, Mrs. Rebecca Akinde, was to assist secondary school students with what it entails to be a registered surveyor.
At the event were Chairman Nigeria Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Oyo State, Surveyor Aderemi Kobiowu, immediate past Chairman of NIS in Oyo state, Surveyor Ola Shiyanbola Aderibigbe, House of Assembly members; Honourables Bamidele Adeola, Olusola Owolabi, Peter Oyetunji, Akintunde Emmanuel and Razak Mabaje among others.
Our correspondent reports that the students among whom were those from Isabatudeen Girls Grammar School, Bashorun, Anglican Commercial Grammar School Orita Meffa, Methodist Junior Grammar School, Bodija, Sankore College and Ikolaba High School, Ibadan were introduced to some of the surveying equipment and demonstration of some surveying equipment during the career talk.
Akinde while speaking said that women office does not ends at the kitchen, as she urged students especially female students to chose their career rightly.
Akinde said, “We are here to have the maiden edition of women in surveying in the south west joint career talk. This is the first of its kind. In the time past, people believes that women office ends at the kitchen, that has past. We want to show these students that the time has passed. Women are now occupying important positions, we now have surveyor general who are female, we have deputy surveyor general who is a female from Ogun State here with us. We have female who are occupying positions at the national levels.
“So, we want to show the students that there is something that we called surveying. Like myself, I don’t know what is called surveying, I just find myself there, initially I wanted to study other courses, so as destiny will have it, I find myself in the surveying profession, and today, I am a registered surveyor and I am enjoying it.
“Surveyors are always healthy, because we used to trek unlike other people who will be in the office. They will not treck. Hardly you will see a surveyor having sickness. They sweat out the toxic when they trek. It is a very lucrative job. The students should plan their career. To have a road map, to know where they are going. So, they should have their own career plan. It is important for everybody, especially the female, it is important to have career plans. It is easy to rise in surveying. They should also find a mentor to train them in their career.
Oyo state Coordinator of WIS, Mrs. Toyin Rebecca Fowotade in her welcome address, advised the students to take their studies seriously and choose their careers well.
Fowotade said, “Women in Surveying is a sub-group of NIS which comprises of all female Surveyors throughout Nigeria.
“To propagate the gospel of Surveying through seminars, workshops, career talks, radio and television programmes etc to reach the public. To encourage the Nigerian youngsters especially the girl’ child to deliberately choose Surveying as a course of study in tertiary institutions.
“To educate and enlighten the younger women in the profession. To encourage the students who have distinguished themselves in their academic through bursary. To ensure that female Surveyors to demonstrate professionalism in all ramifications.
“We are donating these items to the orphanage home as parts of our efforts to give back to the society.”