Accra, Oct. 12, GNA- Metso Outotec Ghana Limited, a mining technology company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Mines and Technology (UMAT) to offer hands-on training to students.
The move will imbibe a good work ethic in the students and help improve their employability after completing their national service.
At a short event in Accra, Mr Enoch Kusi Yeboah, the Vice President for the West African Region of Metso Ghana Limited signed on behalf of his institution while Professor Richard Amankwah, the Vice Chancellor of UMAT, initialled for his university.
Mr Yeboah said the partnership was part of the company’s mandate to train students, who graduate from the various universities in Ghana and to equip them with the needed working skills in their field of study.
He stated that the partnership would also benefit both the company and the university where samples from customers would no longer be sent to some countries but rather be worked on by these students as a way of training them for the future.
Mr Yeboah noted that 30 per cent of the company’s employees were graduate trainees, Interns or Service Personnel who had come from various universities in Ghana.
He said a recent report by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research indicated that only 10 per cent of the 110,000 graduates from universities in Ghana were able to acquire job opportunities.
Mr Yeboah urged the stakeholders to also support these young graduates to help reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.
Professor Amankwah thanked the management of Metso Outotec for the initiative and also for instituting a scholarship scheme for students.
The Vice-Chancellor advised the students to learn hard and be productive, “If you support UMAT in this direction, you are supporting training the next set of engineers who will be well-baked to fit into the systems”.
Mr Collins Anim Sackey, Director of Policy, Planning and Minerals Titles at the Minerals Commission, said the partnership between Metso Outotec Ghana Limited and UMAT formed part of the government’s policy to give practical training to students.
“So for the students who get the opportunity to work here, in order to gain some practical experience, it’s important that you build up certain cultures that will help you not only today but in the future,” he urged.
GNA