Diaspora News of Wednesday, 17 March 2010

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Vodafone Employ Ghanaians in Diaspora

Vodafone Ghana is fast establishing itself as the number one company in Ghana consciously working itself up as an employer of choice for the large number of Ghanaians who have trained abroad and are keen on returning home.

One major headache for Ghanaians who have lived and trained abroad is how to return home and get a good job. There have been instances where young Ghanaians in Diaspora have decided to continue living abroad because they are not sure of getting good employment if they returned home to Ghana.

david_venn Indications, however, are that while recruiting local talents in its quest to lead the market, Vodafone Ghana is providing great opportunities for our young Ghanaians in Diaspora who, really, want to come back home after studies abroad to contribute their quota to the country's economic development processes.

?It is Vodafone Ghana's aim to be the destination for qualified persons, especially Ghanaian expatriates who wish to return home with their skills, while enjoying time with their friends and families and earning a good living.? Said the CEO of Vodafone Ghana, David Venn, in an interview. Mr Venn said the Ghanaians are returning from all over Europe, the USA, Bostwana, Netherlands and the Czech Republic. He describes it as ?good news.?

The Ghanaian expatriates represent a cream of expertise that cut across Finance, Information Technology, Engineering, Human Resource, Sales and Enterprise. So far, about 40 Ghanaians in Diaspora have joined the company, with indications that Vodafone Ghana would continue to have a huge attraction as a satisfactory destination for Ghanaians abroad who have over the years contemplated the idea of returning home but did not know what to return to.

Later in an interview Vivian Wiredu, an HR Business Partner and one of the Ghanaian returnees said she was attracted to the Vodafone brand and also the prospect of returning home, hence her decision to join in July 2009. ?I have never regretted. It's nice to be back, and working with Vodafone in Ghana is so diverse, you come across people from different Vodafone companies' such as. South Africa, UK, Egypt, Germany, New Zealand ?! It's so different working with a rich combination of professionals with diverse backgrounds and unique experiences to contribute. Miss Wiredu said.

Ernest Mensah, a Business Intelligence Delivery Manager with the IT section said he relocated from Prague, Czech Republic, where he had been living and working for the last 20 years. ? The main motivation for coming back to Ghana is the sudden realization that ?Home is always Home?, and that I need to contribute my quota, no matter how small, to the advancement of Ghana as whole and my own personal development. As part of the offer, Vodafone Ghana promised to support me with my relocation effort ? financially and morally. And Vodafone Ghana kept its promise ? making my return to Ghana even smoother.? He added excitedly.

For Francis Asante who is Vodafone's Head of Finance Decision Support and Commercial Finance, moving back home from the United States was a major decision and life changer. ?My goal for moving back home was to give my kids the opportunity to experience the rich Ghanaian culture I enjoyed growing up. Most importantly, I also looked to positively enhance my career by being a part of a growing company given the rapid economic development seen in Ghana. Vodafone Ghana has met and exceeded my expectations on core values and its continued appreciation of the Ghanaian culture as a part of doing business,? he added.

Vodafone seems to have offered these young returnees not just employment opportunities but the chance to re-connect with their Ghanaian identity and their heritage. Angela Mensah-Poku, the CEO's Business Manager is an example: ?The decision to relocate to Ghana and work for Vodafone was an easy one. The chance to work for a global company who supported my move back home, the opportunity to spend more time with my parents and friends who have also returned to Ghana and the chance to rediscover my roots was too much to resist. Now I'm here I can't believe I worked and lived anywhere else. No more dark, cold and rainy Monday mornings!? Source: The Ghanaian Journal - The Ghanaian Journal