The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) Ghana, Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru, has reiterated the importance of equipping the youth with employable skills, particularly in the maritime sector, to enhance sub-regional security and drive sustainable development.
Speaking at the 4th graduation ceremony of the stage One international forklift and mobile crane operators training and certification at the Regional Maritime University in Accra on Wednesday, he noted the important role maritime workers play in ensuring sub-regional security and economic growth.
“The theme for this year’s graduation, ‘Equipping the African Youth with Employable Skills, Critical for Sub-Regional Security and Development,’ is apt and appropriate at this moment, considering the threats to national security within the sub-region emanating from unemployment among the working population,” he stated.
He mentioned the need for strategic partnerships and competitive training programmes to tackle the youth unemployment rate head-on.
The Regional Maritime University has emerged as a focal point for training skilled personnel to meet the emerging demand for technocrats and artisans in the maritime industry.
Alhaji BAshiru commended the institution’s effort in providing the required skills for the job market, making it an invaluable partner in addressing the skills gap.
“The record of this great institution in providing the required skills for our job market makes it imperative for us to join you today in celebrating not only the graduates who have completed their training but also to commend the university for running programs that are highly in demand in the job market,” he added.
He acknowledged the significant roles of young people trained as forklift operators, mobile crane operators, excavator operators, riggers and reach stacker designers.
“We are proud of you for demonstrating such great feats in your academic lives and we pray that the knowledge you have acquired remains beneficial to Ghana, Africa and wherever your services would be needed,” he noted.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of RMU, Dr Jethro Brooks Jnr., underscored the university’s dedication to enhancing the training experience for its students continuously.
He emphasised that RMU is taking proactive measures to procure its machinery, a strategic move that would substantially reduce the expenses currently incurred through hiring equipment.
This initiative is designed to enable the university to deliver high-quality training at a more sustainable cost, thereby benefiting both the trainees and the institution itself.
The President of the National Association for Heavy-duty Equipment Operators Ghana (NAHEOG) Dominic Kofi Eyiah praised the graduates for demonstrating the perseverance, tenacity, and resourcefulness that symbolises an African youth.
He urged them to use the acquired knowledge well, stressing safety, efficiency, and maintaining the highest professional standards.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD