The regional maritime university, RMU, in collaboration withMitsui Ocean Development and Engineering Company Inc, MONDEC, has launched an all-female welding course with the admission of seven senior high school graduates.
The three-months intensive practical training programme is to make participants ready for the job market worldwide.
MONDEC together with Tullow refurbished and resourced the welding training and fabrication centre at the regional maritime university in 2016, at a cost of 1.6 million dollars.
The facility is to provide world class professional vocational skills to the oil & gas and allied sectors.
The centre has since trained over 500 professionals in Ghana and west Africa who are currently working at Newmont, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority GPHA, Ghana navy among others.
Unfortunately, only about 5 per cent of the candidates trained were females, a situation the partners described as a problem to be solved.
For the Managing Director of MODEC, Theophilus Ahwireng, the all-female welding programme would provide young females the opportunity to gain practical professional skills that will kick start their career and entrepreneurial pursuit.
Theophilous Ahwireng also indicated MODEC and its partners as part of their capacity building agenda, are sponsoring two RMU instructors to Canada for the Canadian Welder Bureau Level 2 Certificate.
The fully funded 40,000-dollar programme is an introduction of the regional maritime university in collaboration with MONDEC and CPI.
The beneficiaries are senior high school graduates with science backgrounds, selected after a competitive process that involve over 700 applicants across the country.
The lucky seven are Angela Sackey, Theresa Osei Dampo, Priscilla Dadjo, Hegar Frimpong Nelle Akurugu, Stella Akofa, and Favor Gbadjo.
The practical based professional skills training, over three months, would kick start the careers and entrepreneurial pursuits of the participants in any industrial space.
The beneficiaries would in addition to the RMU certificate, sit for the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) examination for welders.
This will qualify them to receive a CWB level 1 Certificate for welders, and an internationally recognized certification in welding and fabrication.
Head of Marine Engineering Department, Isaac Animah, applauded MODEC for its swift intervention.
He said the University put together a proposal following the conception of the novelty programme and begun seeking sponsors but MONDEC jumped into their rescue by accepting th entire budget.
By Peter Quao Adattor
