Mr. Keivi Howard, a recent graduate of the BASc in Manufacturing and Design Engineering Programme at UTT, recently opened his own design and innovation-based company KP Technovation on the main island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The department of Design and Manufacturing Engineering is proud of his achievements, and would like to share with the university community his thoughts on how UTT contributed to his success:

"The Design and Manufacturing Engineering programme opened my eyes to numerous new technologies, software and design methods. The courses I took were well structured and I enjoyed how they challenged me. The teaching skills of the lecturers were superb - always informative, helpful and supportive to students. The level of experience and discipline motivated me to reach for higher levels. The lecturers in Design and Manufacturing gave valuable advice on self-development, ethics and entrepreneurship which I have adopted and implemented in my current journey.

What I enjoyed most about the Design and Manufacturing Engineering programme was the exposure to new technologies such as CNC and rapid prototyping, as well as making new friends with young and potential professionals. The final project of choice was an idea proposed by Dr. Umesh Persad, which was to design, build and test a Low-Cost Roll-up Steel Pan Interface. This idea captivated my attention as a Pannist, and I was given the opportunity to develop this idea into my final year project. Some areas in the development of the project were challenging, but with the help and motivation from my supervisor and friends it was a success. The experience I gained developing the "Low-Cost Roll-up Steel Pan" built my confidence in approaching and accepting new challenges in the world of work. It also embodied a lot of what I was taught over the time spent in the Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department. I am very grateful for the opportunity to develop such an idea into my final year project.

On completing my degree, I returned to my homeland St. Vincent and the Grenadines and established a small business KP Technovation. The business operations involve conventional machining, welding and fabrication, 3D designs, 3D modeling and 3D printing. The business is still at an early stage, but the potential for growth is evident. My goal is that one day I will be able to invest in advance CNC machines and other rapid prototyping equipment so that I can expand my business. KP Technovation is located in Villa Flat, St.Vincent (Tel: 784-457-1806 | 784-491-2128, Email: kptechsvg@gmail.com, keivihoward@kpmarineltd.com).

The UTT Design and Manufacturing experience was a life changing one. My advice to young Engineers is to follow your passion, keep an open mind in whatever choices you make and always learn new things. I am also looking forward to returning to UTT one day for further development in a postgraduate program."

The Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department wishes Mr. Howard all the best in his career and in his business ventures.