Levi Shigwedha and Eliaser Hango, co-owners of Power Electrical & Construction cc are members of the PME cohort of the Diploma in Project Management Programme at Namibia Business School. They first met in 2011 as they were both job hunting after completion of their vocational training. They became friends and kept in touch even after they were employed at different companies, and life took them in separate directions. Their friendship was strengthened by their mutual desire for the same thing – to be self-employed. They decided to join forces and launch Power Electrical & Construction cc.
Power Electrical & Construction delivers electrical and construction projects, mostly construction of power lines ranging from 11kV to 33kV. Given the project-based nature of their work, Eliaser and Levi decided to pursue formal project management training. Not only did they enroll themselves in the NBS PM Diploma, but they also decided to bring along two of their employees: Alfeus Lukas and Amalia Shiimbi.
Alfeus joined the company in 2015. Levi shared, “Lukas has been very dedicated, passionate, and committed to whatever he does. He is now the company leg.” As Alfeus reflected on his academic journey at NBS, he said, “This project management programme has totally changed me and my professional outlook. Now I am well-equipped to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and control all my work-related projects.”
The past year in the PM Programme has really changed a lot in our company, as in the planning and managing of our projects.
Amalia, a qualified electrician, joined Power Electrical & Construction in August 2018 as a Technical Admin. The owners describe her as very punctual, dedicated, and ambitious. “She has been very good at her job,” Eliaser said. Amalia feels blessed for her company to be committed to her professional development, “I couldn’t be more grateful!” She said that completing the PM Diploma has made work easier for her. “I have started getting more involved in projects, especially in costing and procuring. Since completing the PM Diploma, I have been tasked to lead a new project at NCHE, Windhoek West. So far, so good.” Amalia shared.
Eliaser and Levi explained that they strategically invested in these two employees. “In the future, we are confident that they can run projects individually and successfully. In the end, this investment will save the company costs and deliver superior results to our clients.”
Eliaser concluded that “The past year in the PM Programme has really changed a lot in our company, as in the planning and managing of our projects.” He shared that the way they manage projects now is entirely different. Levi added, “Project management helps us manage and execute our projects on a premier level.”