Help bridge gap between theory, practice -Maritime Expert
Stakeholders in the marine industry must commit to offering apprenticeship, internship, and scholarship to help bridge the gap between theory and practice, the Principal Maritime Officer at the Ghana Maritime Authority, Mrs Magdalene Ofori-Addae, has said.
She noted that the commitment on the part of stakeholders in the marine industry would help attract more professionals into the sector and ensure continuity and sustainability.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day education fair organised by the Regional Maritime University in Accra yesterday, Mrs Ofori-Addae mentioned that most students who found themselves in the maritime industry struggled to perform due to the lack of practical skills.
She pointed out that with the 50 per cent of world’s working age population expected to be Africans by 2050, it was important for the continent to leverage such opportunities to become a global leader in the maritime space.
According to her, although the maritime industry was challenging, there were some young women who had excelled and, therefore urged participants at the event to aspire for greatness and learn from such young women.
She also encouraged the participants to understand their strengths and weakness, build networks, seek knowledge and skills, and develop an innovative mindset to be able to thrive in the maritime space.
Furthermore, Mrs Ofori-Addae said it was imperative to review the country’s maritime education and training in order to ensure that students were equipped to lead in a rapidly evolving maritime landscape.
She, therefore, called for a closer collaboration between industry and academia to ensure that graduates were not only educated but were truly prepared for the realities of the maritime world.
For his part, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the Regional Maritime University, Dr Jethro Brooks Jnr, called for mind-set and attitudinal change on the part of African towards the use of the human and natural resources.
“We have all the resources on this continent that the human race needs to survive. It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to change our minds and attitudes, and work together for a prosperous future of our generation,” Dr Brooks Jnr elaborated.
According to him, the Regional Maritime University over the years had witnessed a gradual increase in age enrolment, especially the female category.
He again indicated that the university intended to bridge the gender gap in the maritime space by increasing its female enrolment as there were more opportunities for them in the sector, both on-shore and off-shore.
Considering the expensive nature of maritime operations, Dr Brooks Jnr called for support from both the public and private sector to enable the university to continue producing professional maritime workers on the African continent.
The event was attended by students from second cycle educational institutions, students of the Regional Maritime University, and other players in the maritime industry.
BY EUGENE AMPIAW
