Young Ghanaians with ambition to join the cocoa industry have the opportunity to join a free programme that qualifies them for employment as logistics and warehousing technicians in the agricultural sector. The World Cocoa Foundation’s Echoes Alliance is equipping post-secondary students with sufficient knowledge and skills in logistics, transportation, supply chain, warehousing and information technologies. The Agricultural Logistics Skill Development Programme is in partnership with the KNUST School of Business, with funding from ADM Cocoa and Safmarine, focused on further enhancing students’ understanding of the cocoa supply chain. The curriculum comprises a four-month academic training period at the KNUST and a three month internship period with the programme sponsors and other companies within the cocoa industry. Speaking at the project launch in Kumasi, Magaret Odotei of the WCF noted the programme is beneficial in addressing a critical skill need in the targeted communities, bringing women to the area of supply chain management as well as creating a model of cooperation between industry and higher institutions of learning. The annual programme specifically targets the youth with families who own cocoa farms. Thirty students, who live in the Kaasi area of Kumasi where the ADM’s plant in Ghana is located, have been selected to participate in the pilot programme, beginning this month. General Manager of ADM Cocoa Ghana, Nicolas Poyade, expressed the company’s pride to be playing a role in the country’s education and reiterated the company’s commitment to the growth of Kumasi and Ghana’s cocoa industry through investments in people. “We are investing in the education of young Ghanaians with the hope of giving them the tools they need, not only to succeed but also improve the logistic industry so that it can benefit all of us. “To produce one million tonnes of cocoa is good, its excellenct but to market it on time [is] even better. Through this programme, participants will learn the knowledge and skills they need to be employable in logistics industry and help improve efficiencies through supply chain”, Mr. Poyade said. Dean of the KNUST Business School, Joseph Magnus Frimpong, told Luv Biz Report graduates who have the desire for further academic training will have the opportunity to pursue the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT-UK) Certificate and Diploma in Logistics offered by KNUST. Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv FM/Ghana