General Electric – Ghana (GE) in collaboration with Junior Achievement (JA) Africa has organised a community service programme for 120 junior high students from Kotobabi and Nima.

The purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for GE staff to interact with and contribute to the growth and development of young Africans in Ghana.

The campaign sought to raise awareness and stimulate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers among Ghanaian junior high school students.

It also afforded the young students, an opportunity to gain exposure to accomplished professionals at the peak of their careers.

The objective of the event was to promote key scientific and technological concepts from idea to design and implementation; such as building capability in engineering.

Mr Leslie Nelson, the Chief Executive Officer of GE-Ghana, said as part of the Company’s commitment to develop the nation’s human resources as well as localizing its operations in the country it had rolled out a $ 3 million scholarship package for Ghanaian students.

He cited 15 engineering and applied science needy brilliant students of the University of Ghana as examples of beneficiaries of the Company’s scholarship scheme.

He said GE is looking forward to discover and nurture young talents and build capacity of the labor force to help speed up the nation’s socio-economic development.

Mr Nelson said training, building skills and technology transfer are key ingredients of GE’s localization strategy in Ghana.

He urged students to learn hard so that their tomorrow would be better than their today.

Elizabeth Bintliff, the President and Chief Executive Officer of JA Africa, who address the students via videoconferencing, said the programme offered the students an opportunity to interact with and learn from great professionals.

Dr William Derban, the Director, JA Africa, said the event offers an excellent opportunity to young people in Ghana to work with a fully experienced youth entrepreneurship and work readiness focused NGOs like JA Africa and Corporate Volunteers of GE.

He said the youth are the real potential for Africa; hence offering them the opportunity to learn and understand their environment is essential to Africa’s development.

Nana Hawah Seidu, a participant and a student of Ron Brown Memorial School, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the event had enabled her understand the career opportunities that STEM skills offer.

She expressed her gratitude to GE- Ghana and JA Africa for organising the event for them saying “I am excited to be part of it”.

GE is the world’s digital industrial company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive.

GE in works in Ghana to support economic growth through infrastructure development especially in the power, healthcare and transport sectors.

JA is the largest global nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people to own their economic success by enhancing the relevancy of education.

JA Africa is one of six JA Worldwide Regional Operating Centers.