By Nathaniel Nartey
The Regional Maritime University (RMU) has intensified its efforts to bridge the gap between academia and industry by engaging key stakeholders on measures to address the challenge.
On the back of this, the RMU paid a courtesy call on the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) to deliberate on matters of mutual concern. The meeting held on Friday, April 21, 2023, and hosted by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GSA, Ms. Benonita Bismarck, was attended by a team from the RMU, led by their Acting Vice Chancellor, Dr. Jethro W. Brooks Jr.
Dr. Brooks Jr. said that the RMU has developed courses which will focus on port and Terminal Performance Indicators among other areas, and will be happy to receive input from the GSA. The GSA’s input is expected to help design a course that will address the decline in traffic being experienced at Ghana’s ports, which has led to a loss of revenue for the state as well as stakeholders in the shipping and logistics industries.
Dr. Brooks Jr. added that, among other things, the visit was also to renew collaboration between the two organisations. He encouraged females to avail themselves of enrolment at the university.
“One of the shipping lines came to us and they only wanted female seafarers. They took in sixteen (16) of them a few weeks ago for employment. They will be back for more female seafarers but we do not have the numbers they require,” he noted.
Ms. Bismarck commended the RMU for the initiatives taken to improve the number of female seafarers in the sector. She noted that the GSA will play its role by providing technical assistance to the RMU for the design of courses to help bridge the gap between academia and industry.