The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) is introducing entrepreneurship into its academic programmes to enable graduates to create jobs for themselves, Professor John Kofi Mensah Kuwornu, Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University has said.
He said entrepreneurship programmes prepared students for the job market, saying, when they complete the programmes, they would be in a better position to create jobs and employ other workers as well.
In an interview with the media on the sidelines of the launch of Students’ Entrepreneurship Fair 2023 in Sunyani, Prof. Kuwornu said the university was finalising modalities to roll out the programme.
The one-week fair, being organized by the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation (CEBI) of the university is on the theme: “Unearthing Students’ Entrepreneurial Creativity and Innovation; The role of Fairs and Exhibitions.”
It is aimed at helping to discover entrepreneurial skills and inventions among tertiary and senior high schools to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Prof. Kuwornu said the university had realised the potential in entrepreneurship programmes in improving the socio-economic lives of people, saying entrepreneurs developed ideas and skills to capitalise on that and help solve societal problems by creating jobs for themselves.
On completion, students who develop interest and pursue entrepreneurship programmes acquired new ideas and abilities to create and manage their own businesses and that would help reduce pressure on formal employment.
Prof Kuwornu, therefore, hoped the fair would empower the students to be well-positioned and advised them to take it seriously and build themselves.
Mr Reginald Djimatey, the Head of CEBI of the university explained the fair was expected to bring together more than 1,000 people from the corporate environment, tertiary and senior high schools and create opportunities for networking too.
