(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- A smart helmet for construction workers, road sensors to alert drivers of lanedrifting, and a solar-powered irrigation monitoring system for farms.
These were the winning ideas honoured by the British Council and HSBC Bank Middle East at the culmination of their annual Taqaddam life skills programme last week in Muscat.
Helping to develop resilient youth who can thrive in a rapidly changing work environment, Taqaddam challenges participants to apply their newly acquired soft skills to present a solution to a global or social problem, stated a press release.
More than 400 students from the Caledonian College of Engineering and Higher College of Technology participated this year, with Omani nationals representing 80 per cent of those. Divided into teams, the students presented a total of 56 big ideas. The winning team members will now be given the opportunity to join an internship programme with the British Council in Oman.
In the first place was 'Smart Helmet'. This team aimed to offer comfortable work conditions for construction workers with a modernised hard hat featuring a cooling fan and a light powered by both battery and solar panels. The students consulted a team of construction workers on the prototype and positive feedback led them to seek sponsorship to make the project a reality.
The team in the second place plans to improve road safety by developing sensors to monitor when vehicles drift from their lane. The sensor would then alert any oncoming traffic with flashing red lights.
Tackling an environmental issue, the team that came third proposes to develop a solar device that can measure the soil around crops to regulate irrigation systems on farms. This method of irrigation would save gallons of water used by agricultural companies as crops would only be watered when required rather than based on a predetermined watering schedule.
'Nurturing young talent and driving educational development are fundamental parts of HSBC Bank Oman's DNA. The themes of the Taqaddam programme are central to our values, and we believe that instilling such life principles and soft skills in students today will enable them to be successful individuals in the future and contribute positively to the sultanate's development and prosperity,' said Andrew Long, chief executive officer of HSBC Bank Oman.
Paul Hilder, country director, British Council Oman said, 'We would like to extend our congratulations to all participants in this year's Taqaddam programme. With soft skills featuring prominently on the list of hiring criteria for private and public companies, Taqaddam plays an important role in supplementing students' learning journeys.'
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