Takeholders in the marine industry must commit to offering apprenticeship, internship, and scholarship to help bridge the gap between theory and practice, the Principal Maritime Officer at the Ghana Maritime Authority, Mrs Magdalene Ofori-Addae, has said. She noted that the commitment on the part of stakeholders in the marine industry would help attract more professionals into the sector and ensure continuity and sustainability.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day education fair organised by the Regional Maritime University in Accra yesterday, Mrs Ofori-Addae mentioned that most students who found themselves in the maritime industry struggled to perform due to the lack of practical skills.
She pointed out that with the 50 per cent of world's working age population expected to be Africans by 2050, it was important for the continent to leverage such opportunities to become a global leader in the maritime space. According to her, although the maritime industry was challenging, there were some young women who had excelled and, therefore urged participants at the event to aspire for greatness and learn from such young women.
She also encouraged the participants to understand their strengths and weakness, build networks, seek knowledge and skills, and develop an innovative mindset to be able to thrive in the maritime space.
