The Golden Sunbeam International College of Science and Technology has signed of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University for Development Studies to start tertiary programmes.

It would initially offer Diploma in Registered General Nursing (RGN), B.Sc. General Nursing, Diploma in Agribusiness Processing Technology and B.Sc. Agribusiness Processing Technology.

In an interview with the GNA the Co-chair of the College’s Board Mrs Monica Ohene Opare said the College would focus on Health, Agriculture, Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM)Education.

She noted that many youth were not interested in the agricultural sector because they perceived that sector to be meant for the uneducated and illiterate.

“This is coupled with their experiences in basic and senior secondary schools where weeding has been the main form of punishment for miscreant students”, she said.

She indicated that, “To change this mindset and encourage the youth to be ‘agripreneurs’, the College will source scholarship funds to support students who pursue the agribusiness programme from international organizations like AGRA, USAID, DFID, IBRD, etc.”, and appealed to those organizations to help transform the youth into successful agripreneurs especially at this time when employment opportunities were scarce.

Asto what the difference would be from other agribusiness programmes, Mr Opare explained that the Golden Sunbeam's agribusiness model will be a step-by-step, hands-on skills training which appeared to be the missing link of modern day programmes.

Students would therefore graduate with the requisite skills needed – from production, processing packaging and marketing. The experience gained would enable them to gather enough self confidence to start their own agribusiness enterprises.

They will also be supported in the form of start-up capital, some of which they themselves would have generated during their training in college. The college will also mentor them until they find their feet, she added.

“This is different from the current norms where agribusiness students are exposed to agriculture in their third year where they make whistle-stop visits to some selected agribusinesses in a short span of three to four weeks and graduate at the end of fourth year to look for work mainly in the banking sector”.