Calls have intensified for the need to teach ethics and integrity either as a course or as integral parts of course programs in Ghana’s tertiary institutions.

Pharmacist and Serial Entrepreneur, Bright Boateng who made his call observes the absence of these two at that level of education is affecting the quality of graduates in recent times required for the job market.

Mr Boateng thinks this remains one of the key factors why companies are not expanding to absorb more graduates. 

“Laziness, stealing, half-hearted performance, selfishness, greed, apathy, get-rich-quick and general lack of work ethics is killing most businesses. Difficult to trust employees. One has to invest in CCTV cameras, employing more people to serve as checks on colleagues and always beefing up security.”

Mr Boateng believes these traits when properly taught and instilled in graduates hold the potential to get graduates employed as well as expand their longevity in the business world.

“The people you work with. They can either make your business crumble or rise. It’s not unheard of that people’s employees start their ventures within the business they have been employed to handle, using the products or secrets of that company. You should be able to trust those you work with or seek help from and vice versa.”

He mentioned this at a two-day African Centre for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) Workshop held at the Koforidua Technical University (KTU) on the theme, ‘Establishing profitable synergy between academia and industry’.

The workshop attracted more than thirty participants from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Koforidua Technical University (KTU) and other ACCESS Ghana partner universities across the country.

The two-day workshop was facilitated by Dr Ralph Nyadu-Addo, Christopher Addo and Bright Boateng.

It encompassed two pillars of ACCESS - University-Business Linkage (UBL) which deals with Industry-Academic Relationships, and Capacity Building which deals with the use of digital tools to promote teaching and learning to enhance employability.

These sessions aimed to provide participants with practical insights and tools to enhance their understanding and application of establishing profitable synergy between academia and industry for graduate employment enhancement.

Chief of New Juaben, Daasebre Nana Kwaku Boateng has meanwhile signed a memorandum of understanding with the ACCESS team and leadership of the Koforidua Technical University (KTU) meant to annually hold a job fair and employability training for the youth in Koforidua.

This happened when the team paid a courtesy call on him and the Vice Chancellor of KTU, Prof John Owusu to discuss future projects on employability by ACCESS.

Prof Owusu pledged support having been involved and knowing the benefits of previous ACCESS projects like iN4iN and AGEA.

Industry-Academia Relationship

ACCESS Coordinator, Dr Nyadu-Addo explained that the project's main aim is to promote employability among African graduates through several interventions.

“ACCESS has a keen interest in helping people to start up and start right in building their careers.”

ACCESS is a 3.7 million Euro project promoted by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) under the Exceed Initiative with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Germany.

The project was implemented by a consortium of seven universities (six African universities from Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Tunisia and coordinated by Leipzig University, Germany) in 2020 with a possible extension. 

Dr Nyadu-Addo speaking on University Business Linkages (UBL), used examples from his over thirty years of working and project experiences and emphasized that, “to do more in the future, one must be willing to acquire and apply new skills and technologies”. 

CEO of InterPharma, Bright Boateng, continued that courses in law and entrepreneurship are important to help prepare students for the job market.

He therefore advised the students on the importance of business diversification, employing the right human resources, reinvesting in one's already growing business and taking a lot of risks.

“African countries have a developing economy which makes them manage what they have instead of growing beyond what they can handle.”

Prof. Eugene Okyere Kwakye, the Dean of the School of Business and Dr. Bernice Gligah gave the remarks and vote of thanks with a closing prayer by Rev. Francis Baidoo to end the workshop. 

Using Digital Tools

The workshop also focused on ‘Capacity Building’.

Facilitator, Christopher Addo stressed the importance of one’s online presence, the use of digital tools and the advantages that come with it.

Mr. Addo explained that digital learning tools make education more interactive, engaging and accessible, allowing learners to develop essential skills and knowledge while using modern technology.

These tools are designed to facilitate collaboration, cooperation and coordination among team members, making it easier to work collectively on projects, documents, tasks, and other shared activities.

Under the collaborative tool, he introduced the use of Padlet - an online collaborative tool that allows users to create virtual bulletin boards or canvases where they can collaborate, share ideas, and collect information - Google Docs, the use of class attendance by using a QR code for attendance. 

“…these are just a few examples of digital learning tools, and the field is continually evolving with advancements in technology. The use of such tools can enhance engagement, interactivity, flexibility, and accessibility in the learning process, he further emphasised.”

The training workshop was supported by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, DAAD, and the Excellence Centres for Exchange and Development (EXCEED)