Nestle Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to give opportunity to students for practical skill development.
Through the formalised five-year partnership, students will get opportunities for practical skill development that would help them apply knowledge that will benefit industry and society.
Every year, about 50 students would be expected to be offered the opportunity for the practical skill development.
Similar opportunity would also be extended to staff of the University.
It is part of Nestle’s policy to help 10 million people to have access to economic opportunities by 2030.
“Being in business for over 150 years and in Ghana for 62 years, we know that for our business to keep thriving, we need to tap into the energy, creativity and enthusiasm of young people, hence our global youth initiative, ‘Nestlé Needs Youth’, with an ambition to help 10 million young people have access to economic opportunities by 2030,” Managing Director of Nestle, Philomena Tan, indicated.
This, she said, would provide Nestle the opportunity to bring to life the purpose of “enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.”
According to Ms Tan, there were many examples of National Service personnel and interns who had been given opportunities and had risen through the ranks in Nestlé with the needed training and guidance to become managers in different areas of the business.
She said the industry had a role to play in churning out talents that were rounded to guarantee a brighter future for the youth and that, “Nestlé believes in creating shared value, where our business and society benefits”.
Ms Tan was of the view that “supporting the training of the youth today, we are supporting the development of a talent pool that industry including Nestlé can recruit from in future,” adding “we believe we can help build thriving and resilient communities by opening our doors to young people.”
Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso noted that the partnership, would give the needed skills to the youth for a brighter future.
He said opportunities should be given to the students or the beneficiaries to research, investigate into areas of challenges facing Nestle, as he commended Nestle for the partnership to have more practically oriented students.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
