Kasapreko, a leading beverage manufacturer in Ghana has put in place a ‘Student Leadership Awards’ scheme to honour thriving students in the area of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering across various technical universities and the Regional Maritime University.
The aim of the awards scheme is to strengthen industry and academic collaboration thus offering students a practical platform through which they can apply skills acquired.
The awards scheme, ‘Kasapreko Student Leadership Awards’ kick-started at the Takoradi Technical University last year, at the weekend awarded, Mr Kato Maxwell Kumah, who was adjudged the Overall Best Engineering Student at the Cape Coast Technical University.
MrKumahreceived a GH¢ 2,000.00 cash prize, a laptop, commemorative plaque, a National Service enrolment with KCL as well as full employment after service.
Speaking at the school’s 18th graduation ceremony, Mr Solomon Owusu Bonnah, the Human Resource Manager at Kasapreko, said that the scheme formed part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.
“We are doing this to close the gap that has existed between the academia and the industry. Due to the nature of our operations and the standard required, we highly recruit the expertise of engineers and have over the years trained lots of graduates to fit into the corporate environment after school,” he said.
He stressed “Going forward, as part of our corporate social responsibility and to strategically position ourselves as employer of choice, we wish to expand this programme to other universities offering engineering programmes.”
Mr Bonnah said he was hopeful that the awards scheme would motivate students as“they strive for excellence, a hallmark of KCL.”
Dr Charles Emmanuel Oppong, former Dean of the School of Engineering at the Cape Coast Technical University, was grateful to KCL for setting up the awards scheme to motivate students.
He further appealed to the company to make a special presentation for exceptional female engineers which according to him would motivate more female students to take up the course which was largely dominated by men.
“I want to thank Kasapreko for this laudable initiative but I will entreat them to also institute an award for the best female engineering student to encourage more women to excel in the field of engineering,” he said.
KCL was established in 1989 by DrKwabenaAdjei to provide quality drinks at affordable price to all Ghanaians and has been certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation.
From David YaboiTetteh, Cape Coast
