Skills for Progress Africa, together with its founding technical partner, ELAF Industrial Automation Limited, has taken Cohort One Fellows of its Technical Talent for Industry Fellowship on an educational and industry exposure visit to the Tema Oil Refinery.
The visit provided the ten Fellows with an opportunity to experience the operations of one of Ghana's important industrial assets, gain practical insight into refinery operations and engage directly with experienced industry professionals.
The delegation was received by the Managing Director of the refinery, Mr Edmond Kombat; Nana Amoasi VII, Technical Advisor to the Managing Director; Ing. Richard Lamptey, General Manager for Health, Safety, Security and Environment and Risk Insurance; and Ms Matilda Frempah of Public Relations.
During an interaction with the Fellows, Mr Kombat shared reflections on leadership and the responsibility of professionals to solve problems.
"Leadership exists so that problems can be solved," he said.
He challenged the Fellows to look beyond certificates and focus on the value and competence they can bring to the world.
"The world is asking now more than ever: What can you do? Not what certificate do you have?" he said. He also offered a perspective on Africa's future: "The future of Africa will be engineered and we must be the engineers."
For Skills for Progress Africa, the visit went beyond a refinery tour. The Fellows came to see the facility and left with a deeper understanding of its operations, along with inspiring leadership lessons and a renewed appreciation of the role technical talent must play in Africa's development.
The Executive Director of Skills for Progress Africa, Mr Kwame Nyatuame, expressed his appreciation for the opportunity.
"It is opportunities like this from industry that make the reality vivid to the technical talent we are nurturing, and we thank the leadership of TOR for opening their doors to us," he said.
The Managing Director of ELAF Industrial Automation Limited, Mr Solomon Bekoe, also expressed his appreciation for the experience, noting that the visit had been eye-opening, particularly for the Cohort One Fellows. He commended the leadership of the refinery for the work being done to bring it back to operation.
The visit forms part of Skills for Progress Africa's commitment to building a strong pipeline of technically excellent, industry-ready and purpose-driven African professionals. Through the Technical Talent for Industry Fellowship, Fellows receive technical development, practical industry exposure, mentorship, and personal and professional development to help bridge the gap between education and productive careers.
Skills for Progress Africa said it was particularly excited about the potential for its Fellows to undertake internship opportunities at the refinery, creating an even deeper bridge between classroom-based technical learning and real-world industrial practice. The organisation expressed sincere appreciation to the leadership and team of the Tema Oil Refinery for opening their doors, sharing their expertise and investing in the next generation of Ghanaian technical talent.
Skills for Progress Africa is a workforce development organisation and upskilling hub focused on developing high-potential technical talent to build successful careers and contribute to Africa's industrial development. ELAF Industrial Automation Limited is its founding technical partner and provides practical, industry-relevant technical and vocational education and training in partnership with Festo Didactic.