Professor Felix Nikoi Hammond, the Interim President of Dominion University College, has said the University under its newly created Skills Development Centre would in 2019 run a mandatory certificate courses in personal development and work-related skills for Dominion students.

He said the course would help to enhance the employability, competitiveness, critical thinking, public speaking, corporate communication, and leadership skills in the 21st century.

Prof Hammond said this at the weekend at the 4th graduation and 5th matriculation ceremony of class of 2018 in Accra.

In all, 173 students graduated, comprising of 112 degree students and 61 Higher National Degree after studying programmes in Business Studies, Theological Studies, and School of Science and Technology.

He said the University would establish a School of Education to train high performing teachers for early childhood, basic and secondary education in the next academic year.

The Professor said the University would also established the Dominion School of Graduate Studies to offer innovative and demand driven but underserved postgraduate and PhD programmes, adding that a number of international universities have indicated their interest in partnering with the University to offer postgraduate and PhD programmes.

Prof Hammond urged the graduates to use the knowledge and experiences they have acquired responsibly and ethically to benefit themselves, the community and the nation as well.

"Wherever you may find yourself, do your utmost to leave an estimable and lasting legacy and a footprint that will inspire those that follow you", he advised.

He said they are collaborating with Prof Richard Fry, an IT Professor from Weber State University, USA to set up an Applied Technology Innovation Centre on the campus, and that under the collaboration, Weber State University students would join their counterparts at Dominion University to work on innovative ICT solutions that would have immediate community impacts.

He said in line with the collaboration, Professor Fry in conjunction with the American Applied Technology Institute donated 12 thin client computers to Dominion University to start the setting up of the Innovation Centre.

Prof Hammond said more computers would be shipped in the first quarter of 2019, adding that the Centre will hold its first training in computer programming in February 2019.

He said the University has transformed the students into a well-rounded and responsible citizens with highly developed inquiring minds, capable of discerning connections and patterns; solving problems and making the right choices.

He advised the graduates to keep learning and continue with the Dominion tradition of intellectual curiosity.

He said as part of the University's five-year strategic and development plan, which will be launched in January 2019, the institution would forge a number of high impact strategic partnership and collaborations with a number of carefully selected international partners.

He explained that the collaborations would relate mainly to hands-on training in computer programming for the youth, systems development and assembling, University information management systems, P-computing, electronic library technologies, distance learning technologies, solar energy technology and corporate training.

Prof Fry expressed concern about the inability of the country to have education in career development, urging Universities to consider that option.

He said the country must placed emphasis on technical education to offer employable skills for the teeming youth as well achieve meaningful academic success.

Prof Fry pledged to collaborate with Dominion University to build community projects to enhance job opportunities for graduate students in the country.

Mr Eric Dziedzom Akukumah, School of Business students won the Arch Bishop Duncan Williams award for overall best student.

Mr Samuel George Quaye won the best graduating student of School of Science and Technology, Mr Joseph Asante won the best graduating student of School of Theological Studies while Ms Belinda Abena Aboagye emerged the best graduating student of Higher National Diploma.