KNUST Business School Launches ICT Programme

17th June 2011 04:35:13 by George  The School of Business of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has launched a pilot programme designed to equip the youth in cocoa farming communities with adequate knowledge in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), to provide them with employment opportunities at the cocoa industry. The programme also seeks to provide them with knowledge in logistics, transportation, warehousing and supply chain. 30 students have been offered admission to begin the programme this month. The programme will run for seven months, and after graduation, those with the desire to acquire further academic laurels will be offered the opportunity to pursue both the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) certificate and diploma in Logistics offered by the KNUST. The Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), together with the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and Safmarine, collaborated with the KNUST to develop the programme intended to sponsor the beneficiary students to acquire career opportunities in the cocoa industry. The Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, Professor Williams O. Ellis, who launched the pilot programme gave an assurance of the university’s commitment to associate itself with industry to design programmes that would be of immense benefit to the youth. “Our interactions with our stakeholders greatly influence our internal systems and procedures” he noted, adding that the programme “will be sustained and the training programme expanded to include other problem areas of the cocoa production sector, ” he stated, adding that this would enable the country “reap maximum benefits from the sector” The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, who chaired the function, commended the companies that sponsored the programme and charged others to emulate their examples. “Many of our youth are unemployed basically because they lack skills that would enhance their chances of employment” he noted and, therefore, commended the KNUST for collaborating with some companies to train the beneficiary students. He said in spite of the oil find, the cocoa industry was key to the socio-economic development of the country and noted that “Any positive development in the industry has a reflection of the economy and social well-being of the country”. The Minister advised the students to consider the programme as a useful career, explaining that it would certainly enhance their living circumstances. He said it was, therefore, important for them to conduct themselves in a way. Mr Agyemang-Mensah asked them to devote all their energies to their studies and avoid issues that were likely to detract their attention from undergoing the training programme.