More than 500 students from five area high schools converged on the KNUST campus at the end of September to learn about educational and career opportunities in supply chain management. The event was part of CARISCA’s efforts to increase access and inclusion in the field.
Because it is not a subject taught at the high school level, the symposium offered many students their first introduction to the world of supply chain management. More than 60% of the students were girls.
The speakers, mainly industry personnel, spoke to the students about various career prospects in supply chain. A faculty member spoke about the requirements to study supply chain at the KNUST Business School. Students also were told about certification courses available to them through the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
Speakers from industry represented Newmont, the world’s leading gold producer; VALCO, an aluminum smelter; and Metro Mass Transit Company. The president of the Procurement and Supply Management Association and the secretary of Women in Logistics and Transport Ghana also spoke at the event.
More than 90% of the students who completed a post-event survey said they were more interested in supply chain management as a result of the program. One student wrote in the survey “I never knew there was a program like that. There are many job opportunities.”
Another wrote that she learned “this program can help in the development of mother Ghana.” A third student said she discovered that “supply chain is a value adding activity. Everything surprised me because I love what I heard today.”
Students from Kumasi high schools learn about supply chain management as a field of study and career option during CARISCA’s inaugural high school symposium.