By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, Oct. 19, GNA – Stakeholders in Ghana’s construction equipment industry have called for increased investment in technical skills development to support the country’s infrastructure expansion and industrial growth.
They said developing local technical expertise was necessary to ensure the availability of skilled workers to operate, service and maintain modern construction equipment.
The call was made at the launch of the JCB machinery range in Ghana by Senok West Africa Limited in Accra.
The event brought together representatives of government institutions, business owners, industry leaders, clients and other stakeholders.
The stakeholders said technical skills development was particularly important as Ghana pursued major infrastructure projects requiring modern machinery and specialised expertise.
They said sustained investment in technical training would help ensure that Ghanaian workers could effectively support the growing demands of the construction and mining industries.
Mr Roshan Budhagamage, Country Manager of Senok West Africa Limited, said Ghana’s construction and mining sectors presented significant growth opportunities, but the availability of skilled technicians and equipment operators remained critical to sustaining progress.
He said the increasing adoption of modern construction machinery required corresponding investment in local capacity to ensure the equipment was operated and maintained efficiently.
Mr Budhagamage said training programmes could help reduce equipment downtime, improve productivity at project sites and create employment opportunities for young Ghanaians interested in technical and engineering careers.
He said developing local expertise would also strengthen after-sales support services and reduce dependence on external technical personnel.
Mr Rupesh Nagar, Regional Manager for West Africa at JCB, said the success of modern construction operations depended not only on access to machinery but also on the competence of the people operating and maintaining it.
He said the growing sophistication of construction equipment required continuous training and skills upgrading to help operators and technicians keep pace with technological advancements.
Mr Nagar called for collaboration among equipment manufacturers, distributors, technical institutions and industry stakeholders to develop specialised training programmes tailored to the needs of the construction and mining sectors.
He said expanding technical education and practical apprenticeship opportunities would help develop the workforce and improve safety, efficiency and productivity at construction sites.
The Government is advancing infrastructure projects under the Big Push Programme, which seeks to address the country’s infrastructure deficit through investments in roads, bridges and other strategic projects.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade