Creating opportunities through education

14th June 2011 – Young Ghanaian students with ambitions to join the agricultural industry will now benefit from the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) Agricultural Logistics Skill Development Programme at the Knust School of Business. The programme was launched on the 14 June at Knust in Kumasi, Ghana.

The aim of the educational programme is to equip selected youths with post secondary education with knowledge and understanding of logistics, supply chain, warehousing and socio-economic issues. Graduates of the programme will be qualified for employment in the agriculture industry as logistics and warehousing technicians. Approximately 30 students have enrolled for the first phase of the programme.

The funding for the training has been provided by WCF member companies Safmarine and ADM Cocoa. WCF is managing and overseeing the programme through the Echoes Alliance, WCF’s initiative to enhance agricultural education in cocoa farming communities, while Knust School of Business is responsible for developing the educational curriculum for the programme.

Safmarine’s global sustainability manager, Larisa Thuije says, “As a member of the WCF, and given Safmarine’s long involvement with our customers in the cocoa trade, we are keen on promoting sustainable development through education. This programme is a great opportunity for that”.

According to ADM Cocoa’s Alain Fredericq, director, global business development and sustainability, this programme will benefit industry in Ghana, particularly within the cocoa supply chain.

“As Ghana becomes an increasingly important producer of cocoa, the need for effective logistics at every step of the supply chain is crucial to the Ghanaian cocoa industry,” says Fredericq. “The educational programme’s varied curriculum allows for a profound understanding of challenges along the supply chain and encourages students to work toward sustainable solutions.”

The World Cocoa Foundation’s President Bill Guyton added that this was “another example of the public private partnerships that form the basis of WCF’s programmes to benefit cocoa farmers, their families and their communities”.

The programme curriculum will cover training of various subject areas, ranging from the introduction to logistics and supply chain, purchasing, warehousing and inventory management, transport and distribution, to covering economic and social issues affecting the industry, amongst others.

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