MasterCard Foundation Scholars at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology are benefiting from short courses organized by the University.

The courses are meant to equip the scholars with relevant entrepreneurial, leadership and academic skills.

Students will be trained in skills for effective communication, introduction to project management, poultry production, greenhouse vegetable production and fundamentals of proposal writing among others.

The 2-day event forms part of the summer camp training programmes for its scholars to build their capacity for the world of work.

It follows an annual week-long skills training programme to train scholars in various entrepreneurial disciplines. 

It is organized by the Centre for Capacity Building and Innovation (CCBI) at the Office of the Vice-Chancellor in collaboration with the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Programme (MCFSP). 

Coordinator for the Centre, Yaw Amo Sarpong observed that many students find themselves outside their fields of study after school.

According to him, the vision of the University is fulfilled when students become technocrats.

“The vision of the University is to produce graduates who are going to be called technocrats. Technocrat means you’re an expert in one or multiple fields.

“With time, the University started producing students who are only specialized in their specific fields, meanwhile you can end up in fields outside your domain.

“The VC and the Management team decided to capacitate students and retool them, so that they can fit into society better after school,” he said.

Lead and PI for MasterCard Foundation Programme at KNUST, Prof. Kofi Owusu Daaku, believes it is an opportunity for scholars to enrich their curriculum vitae and become useful to society.

“Most college students in America, apart from those from very rich homes, work. Their CVs are replete with all these things.

“Get your hands dirty, keep your CV running,” he advised.

One of the Coordinators, Dr. James Osei Mensah, encouraged students to take advantage of offers at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources to start their own businesses.

“If they get the basis, they can run their own businesses in vegetable or poultry production and how to undertake a meaningful facilitation to make the right impact.

“We’re very hopeful, they’ll learn a lot,” he said.