Dr Jethro Wilbert Brooks Jnr, Acting Vice Chancellor, Regional Maritime University (RMU), has urged African leaders to develop policies that encourage the retention and development of skilled professionals in the region.
He said skilled professionals drove innovation, productivity, and economic growth, such that retaining them helped to sustain competitive industries and create jobs.
Dr Brooks Jnr added that skilled professionals contributed to local economies by starting businesses, increasing consumer spending, and fostering community development.
The Acting Vice Chancellor was speaking at the graduation ceremony of the fifth cohort of trainees in forklift and mobile crane operation from the RMU in Accra.
The ceremony, which was organised by the National Association of Heavy-duty Equipment Operators Ghana (NAHEOG) in partnership with RMU, was under the theme, “Socio-Economic Impact of Global Migration of Skilled Labour”.
Dr Brooks Jnr said RMU was committed to equipping trainees with the skills needed to excel in any environment.
“We understand the importance of providing world class training that prepares you for the demand of a globalised economy, and we also recognise the need to continually adapt to evolving needs of industry, both locally and internationally,” he added.
He said the global migration of skilled labour was inevitable, but with strategic support, they could ensure that local economies benefited as well.
The Acting Vice Chancellor urged industries to provide more opportunity for training and employment, ensuring that the local workforce was robust and competitive.
He said the world had become increasingly interconnected, and that the movement of skilled labour across borders was reshaping industries and economics globally.
Dr Brooks Jnr said skilled professionals had the opportunity to impact society worldwide, and that the migration of talents offered significant economic benefits, both to the individual and to the region, however, that movement also brought challenges.
He said the loss of skilled labour could create economic gaps and impede growth in certain areas, consequently, training institutions must ensure that graduates were competitive, globally recognised, and equipped to make meaningful contributions to the sub-region’s development.
Dr Brooks Jnr urged the graduates to carry with them the values of integrity, dedication and excellence, and be proud ambassadors of the programme and of the RMU.
He appealed to Member States of the University, industries and well-meaning individuals to support the training programme by purchasing a mobile crane for the University to enhance the practical training of mobile crane operators.
Madam Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Member of Parliament (MP) for Krowor Constituency, Greater Accra Region, said unemployment had become one of the greatest and biggest threats to peace and security, as well as democracy.
She said conscious and strategic efforts were, therefore, needed to address the high unemployment rate in the country.
Madam Lartey said Ghana had become both sender and receiver of skilled labour, a dual role that presented unique challenges and opportunities.
She said over the past decade, Ghana had seen a 15 per cent increase in skilled professionals living for opportunities abroad, simultaneously witnessing a 20 per cent rise in remittance, now accounting for nearly seven per cent of Gross Domestic Products.
“Increasingly, we have also experienced a 10 per cent growth in skilled immigrants from neighboring countries,” she noted.
The MP for Krowor Constituency said the movement of human capital had become a global trend that could not be ignored, such that everyone had a responsibility to contribute in some way, whether directly or indirectly.
She said when individuals were trained to enhance their economic and living conditions, they should not revert to their previous circumstances but rather continue to advance and improve, as was expected of everyone.
“It is essential to collaborate to maximise our human capital. Rather than engaging in a blame game over contributions to the economy, we should focus on not only training individuals but also ensuring their ongoing development,” she stressed.
GNA