2 Institutions sign MoU to make students more competitive
The Accra Technical University (ATU) and the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at combining technical training with management skills to make participants more competitive on the job market.
Under the three-year partnership, there will be the identification and development of tailor-made short courses for training of participants and labour force towards shoring up institutional efficiencies.
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The ATU, among others, will provide practical training and build capacity of staff, students and participants in relevant areas towards enhancing productivity, growth and expansion of both institutions.
The MDPI will, in exchange, among others, provide internship, industrial attachment, visit and tour opportunities for students’ training, build the capacity of staff of ATU and provide access to facility towards facilitating the development of the management skills of participants.
Therefore, the two institutions ultimately seek to collaborate in complementing each other’s effort in enhancing students’ and participants’ hands-on training and building capacity of staff.
The signing, which took place at the ATU in Accra, was initialled by the Vice-Chancellor of ATU, Professor Samuel Nii Odai, and the acting Director-General of the MDPI, Bernice Adjei, on behalf of their respective institutes.
Areas of cooperation
There will also be the certification of trainees, staff, students and participants who would have duly completed co-identified programmes and organised short courses.
Furthermore, there will be the identification and the conduct of research projects in relevant areas of mutual benefit to both institutions.
The parties will also collate feedback on their staff, students, participants and graduates’ performance vis-a-vis reviewing curriculum, as well as develop new curriculum in areas of mutual benefit.
They will also engage in joint publication of research outcomes that emanate from mutually conducted training and research activities.
At the signing ceremony, Prof. Odai expressed excitement over the new partnership and was hopeful that it would produce the desired results.
He stated that the MoU fell in line with the university’s strategic plan and educational philosophy which was to train and educate students for employment and job creation.
Soft skills
Ms Adjei underscored the need for all to have soft skills, including effective communication, time management, interpersonal skills, problem-solving and decision-making skills, emotional intelligence and leadership.
According to her, employers today were looking to hire, retain and promote individuals who were resourceful, ethical, dependable and self-motivated, for which reason soft skills could give an individual the edge in an increasingly competitive job market.