67 forklift, mobile crane, excavator operators graduate from Regional Maritime University.
Sixty Seven youth who underwent training to operate forklift, mobile crane and excavator on Wednesday graduated from the Regional Maritime University in Accra under the theme: ‘Skilled Youth for Accelerated Development.’
The graduates, who are the 10th cohort of the programme, comprise 32 forklift operators and 35 mobile crane and excavator operators.
The Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, Mr George Opare Addo, in a speech read on his behalf by his Deputy Director, Ms Reine Adzoa Agbo, said that skills development remained one of the ways by which the country could reduce unemployment, increase productivity, and create sustainable livelihoods.
He explained that Ghana needed a workforce that was equipped with practical, technical, and industry -relevant skills capable of driving the various sectors of the economy.
According to Mr Opare Addo, the government recognised the role that the university and the National Association of Heavy Duty Equipment Operators Ghana (NAHDEOG) for their contribution towards the development of a skilled workforce for the country.
He also encouraged the youth to embrace skills training and vocational development as viable and respectful career pathways.
“As government continues to pursue policies aimed at youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and skills development, we count on institutions such as NAHDEOG and Regional Maritime University to remain strategic partners in preparing our youth for the future of work,” Mr Addo added.
The Acting Vice – Chancellor of the University, Dr Jethro W. Brooks Jnr, earlier, underscored the need for the accelerated development across every sector of the economy.
That, he emphasised, could be achieved by investing in youth skills development, including young men and women in the construction, oil and gas, and extractive sector.
“An economy does not develop on ambitions alone. It develops on skills. It develops on the ability to move things, build things, lift things, and place them precisely where they need to go. And that is exactly what you have trained to do,” Dr Brooks Jnr said.
He further advised the graduates to discharge their duties as forklift operators, mobile crane and excavator operators with integrity and professionalism.
Dr Brooks Jnr also urged them to learn new technologies, noting that, “the operators who will thrive in the next 10 years are those who stay curious, keep learning, and treat their certification as a foundation to build on rather than a finish line.”
He thanked the parents for their continued support as well as industry partners and employers for their collaboration with the university.
The President of NAHDEOG, Mr Dominic Eyiah, appealed to the government to consider incorporating Heavy-Duty Equipment Operations into future phases of the National Apprenticeship Programme.
That, according to him, would help create new opportunities for the youth and also address a critical skill gap in the economy of the country.
The Overall Best graduating student, Mr Enoch Kweku Afedzi, in his remarks urged the colleagues to pursue higher learning and also urged the youth to enroll on the Heavy-Duty Equipment Operations programme.
BY NELLY QUARCOOPOME
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