The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme (MCFSP) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has launched its annual week-long skills training programme to train scholars in various entrepreneurial disciplines. 

The training programme is to expose scholars to soft skills which will stimulate their entrepreneurial potentials to benefit their communities. 

The MCFSP, since its inception in 2014, has been organizing summer camp training programmes for its scholars to equip them with skills to stand out in the corporate world. 

Programmes Manager, Afia Ampomaa Awuah, indicated the training programme would help equip scholars with entrepreneurial and leadership skills to become transformative leaders on the African continent. 

“We don’t want students to just graduate with a degree. But we want them to have practical hands-on experience and skills so that they can teach others to help them start their own small businesses,” she said. 

She added “the aim of this camp is to train scholars so that they'll be able to get something to do after school. This is part of the training we give to our scholars while they’re on the programme in addition to other internship and leadership programmes”. 

CEO of CEQA Foods and Beverages Ghana, Christian Boakye Yiadom, popularly known as Pizzaman and Chickenman, was guest speaker at the launch of the summer camp.

He urged scholars to start their own enterprises if they can, and learn to combine entrepreneurship with academics. 

“If you don’t start, you can never start. The time is now. Until you start, you might never know your flaws. 

“I know it may affect your academics. Once you start, you’ll get so busy. You start another life with a purpose aside from academics.

“It’s either you’re with books or you’re trying something new to make money out of it. Don’t waste time on friends who wouldn’t help you thrive,” he emphasized.

The scholars will be exposed to diverse soft skills training including: Macrame, Make-up Artistry, Satellite Installation, Beading, Tie & Dye and Batik/Screen Printing, Catering/Culinary Art, Soap Making, Millinery/ Packaging, App Development, Introduction to Graphic Design (Photoshop), Bee Keeping/Snail/ Mushroom Farming, Wig-Making, Yogurt Production and Photography and Video Editing. 

This year’s Summer Camp is on the theme, “Reinforcing Scholars Entrepreneurial Capacities”. 

Meanwhile, lead and PI for Mastercard Foundation Programme at KNUST, Prof. Kofi Owusu Daaku, said priority is placed on applicants who are females, persons with disability and displaced for the scholars’ programme.

“80 % of our intake are Ghanaians with 20% being disabled and 10% displaced. 

“The easiest for me as a manager is somebody perhaps who’s disabled, who’s a woman, who probably is displaced. 

“Otherwise, we’re very strict in ensuring 70% of our scholars are females,” he said.