As part of its efforts to provide practical skills training for undergraduates as well as the continuous development of human resource, Accra Brewery Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Takoradi Polytechnic.
The MOU, which covers a four-year period, will present an opportunity to students of the Polytechnic to acquire in-depth technical knowledge, training and skills from the brewery. The students will be engaged in a six-month annual internship that involves areas such as joint research projects, sponsorships and attendance of implementation seminars. Others include familiarization tours of the brewery, development training as well as the opportunity of being recruited permanently by the company.
As a measure of the mutually beneficial relationship, employees of Accra Brewery especially those within the technical function will have access to in-service training with the Polytechnic. The institution provides training programmes in automation, mechanical and electrical engineering amongst others. It also has an ultra-modern training facility in Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Skills including Mechatronics and Programmable Logic Controls.
Rev. Prof. Daniel A. Nyarko, Rector, appended his signature to the MOU on behalf of Takoradi Polytechnic whilst Mr. Gregory Metcalf, Managing Director, signed for Accra Brewery Limited.
In his remarks, Gregory Metcalf said the ceremony is to formally show ABL’s commitment to Takoradi Polytechnic who they have had a relationship with over the years. He emphasised that the company is ever ready to embrace partnerships as these, as it serves as a platform to support the academia to meet industry requirements through training students and by extension further developing the nation’s human resources.
“Our business will continuously benefit tremendously through internships, national service postings to our company and the permanent employment of some of the best students of the Polytechnic thereby increasing the skilled level of our employees”, added Metcalf.
Commenting, Rev. Prof. D. A. Nyarko, said the academia does not exist in a vacuum and that, the training they give to students and Ghanaians are for a purpose.
“If we train students and industry does not find any use for them, then our training is in vain so we need the input of industry in everything that we do. We cannot go solo and government cannot do everything, therefore we are glad today we are signing this MOU with Accra Brewery.”
He stated that Accra Brewery is very unique to the school because of the mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering courses, adding, the industry fits into those courses the Polytechnic run and many a time their students have been readily accepted by Accra Brewery for industrial internships.
Rev. Prof. D. A. Nyarko expressed his sincere gratitude for the cordial relationship that has existed between them as well as the signing of a formal MOU to cement it.
“We will operationalize the MOU to make a meaningful impact on both sides.”
Since 2007, students from the Faculty of Engineering at University of Ghana and Accra Polytechnic have also benefited from similar partnerships with Accra Brewery Limited.