The Nation Builders Corp, (NaBCO) is gearing up to launch its learning platform. The learning platform is to help to complement the work aspect of the of government graduate employment scheme.
The Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of NaBCO, Dr. Ibrahim Anyars in an interview with GBC’s Mark Smith explained that, as the NaBCO is modeled after apprenticeship, where there is a work and learn system, it is necessary that as trainees gain the necessary work experience at their various host organization, the NaBCO agency also supports the trainees with the acquisition of essential soft skills.
He said in the coming weeks, the NaBCO trainees would impart soft skills such as CV writing, acing interviews as well as other skills other than work experience needed for the job market.
The Nations Builders Corp was instituted last year by the Akufo-Addo led government as part of effort to reduce the growing burden of graduate unemployment.
Over an eight month period, the scheme has faced several challenges which include some trainees still pending, others having issues with placement and lastly payment as intimated by Dr. Anyars.
He said as with any new initiative, there will be some expected challenges but expressed confidence that, the scheme is gradually transitioning from a topsy-turvy one into a smooth one facing less and less problems each week.
Touching on the issue of monitoring, Dr. Anyars mentioned that the scheme is expecting to migrate its trainees unto a digital platform.
This according to him, will ensure that, the trainees are punctual and do not miss work unnecessarily.
The NaBCO app is both online and offline app. Trainees are expected to clock in when they report to work and then clock out when they get off work.
The application is GPS based which means the trainees are tagged at the location at which they clock in.
The NaBCO CEO explained that this is to ensure that trainees actually show up to their work place before clocking in.
He said, as government spends 70 million Ghana-Cedis on the monthly stipends of trainees, it is pertinent that the agency ensures that there is value for money.
Dr. Ibrahim Anyars said as the CEO of NaBCO it gives him pride able to say that the numbers of the graduates keeps reducing. He said it is a good thing it shows the growing confidence of institutions who are recruiting in the work ethics of NaBCO trainees.
He said so over nine thousand NaBCO trainees had been absorbed into institutions like the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Education for permanent placements.
He disclosed that as the numbers reduce, the agency would from time to time organize limited recruitments to ensure that the numbers are bolstered.
Dr. Anyars used the opportunity to encourage the trainees to remain honest and punctual and learn as much as they can from the host organization while bettering themselves with the learning modules of NaBCO.
He tasked them to ensure that the tax payers money being paid to them would not be wasted.
The NaBCO CEO was in the Upper West Region as part of a two day working visit to assess the work of the trainees and know their challenges firsthand.
Dr. Anyars has already visited institutions the Upper West Regional Small Tax Office, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Regional Hospital where NaBCO trainees have been posted.
He has since left the Regional Capital to visit other districts in the Upper West Region to interact with trainees.
Story by Mark Smith
