The Vice-President of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management, Ghana,  Leonard Quarcoopome has charged the newly admitted Chartered Human Resource Management Practitioners to make Human Resource (HR) count in any organisation they find themselves.

Mr. Quarcoopome made this call when he admitted 50 Chartered Human Resource Management Practitioners on Friday, 29^th October, 2021 at their newly built HR office complex at Tse-Addo, Accra.

The ceremony was to officially confer charter status and present certificates to deserving graduands who completed the Level IV project work of the Professional Certification programme of the Institute. By this charter status, graduands for the first time, had to swear an oath.

The Vice-President of the Institute informed HR Practitioners that as soon as the Legislative Instrument (LI) is passed, the institute will be able to operationalise the law and regulate the profession appropriately. 

He added that the committee is working tirelessly to get the HR standards ready for members.

He also hinted that the date for the inauguration of the new council would soon be set by the sector minister.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute, Ebenezer Ofori Agbettor, urged the new Chartered Graduands to step out there and be an excellent ambassador of the noble profession and the institute.

He told the new graduands that, having been equipped with all the tools/competencies, they should distinguish themselves from the cowboys/girls parading in the HR space and make the institute proud by contributing significantly to the advancement of HR management practice in the country.

According to the CEO, last Friday’s conferral/graduation was very significant as the institute continue to witness an increase in the number of Chartered members from 160 to 194, an increase of 21.25%.

Speaking on the theme: "The Chartered HRM Practitioner: Responsibilities and Privileges", the Guest Speaker for the ceremony, Alexander Williams said the achievement of the chartered member is worth celebrating because of the hard work and sacrifices they have exhibited, which he said, can be identified with the success the team went through to obtain the statute under which they are being awarded, the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management, Ghana Act, 2020 (Act 1020).

“You have earned a distinguished accolade and title. The Chartered status should stand you in a good stead and position of privilege wherever you may be. The title also brings with it significant responsibilities”, Mr. Williams added.

He explained that as a member of the institute, you must at all times be of good standing, which means that your membership subscription must be paid up to date. 

“Fundamentally, it is your responsibility to practice in accordance with Act 1020, which gives the responsibility to conduct yourself and your business professionally.”

According to section 40 of the act, “if you contravene this responsibility, you commit an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than one hundred penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than twelve months or to both", he enumerated.

On privileges, the Guest Speaker said, his proposal was that the act does not confer any privileges, adding “any privileges you may get as a Chartered HRM Practitioner will come with how you carry yourself and execute your mandate.”

The Chairman of the Professional Certification Board of the Institute, John Eluerkeh, in a speech read on his behalf by one of the Professional Certification Board members, Paul Nartey explained the difference between Certified and Chartered members, saying, Certified is the term that was used until the enactment of the Chartered Human Resource Management, Ghana Act2020 (Act 1020) in August, 2020.

He said, the Professional Certification Board’s expectations are that members would remember that though they may enjoy some privileges such as having a professional allowance, they should be mindful of the fact that the Charter comes with great responsibilities. 

"These responsibilities, you owe to Ghana, the Institute, your organization and yourself", he said.