Beneficiaries of the Total Ghana Limited’s Young Graduate Programme, a career development and empowerment programme have hailed the company for the initiative, which seeks to build and equip newly graduated youth with skills through global exposure.

A statement from Total Ghana and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday said, the programme, which was conceptualised by the Marketing and Services division of the Total Group in Africa and the Middle East (France) had so far benefitted 12 Ghanaian graduates.

It named the first set of four graduates who were picked after a thorough process as: Mr David Yaw Kumah, Mr George Boamah Nkansah, Ms Endesha Serwaa Amanquah and Ms Ewurabena Asaam, all alumni of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

The statement said the beneficiaries of this first edition spent the first six months of the 18-month period at Total Petroleum Ghana and spent the remaining 12 months at the Total Office in France and its affiliates in Uganda and Kenya.

Inductees for the 2017 batch were currently serving 12 months in Total Ethiopia, Total Sierra Leone, Total Zambia and Total Mozambique while the 2018 batch recently begun their programme at Total Petroleum Ghana Ltd, it added.

Mr Bright Dokosi, the Human Resource Manager of Total Ghana, the statement said, noted that, the programme was a key element in realising its ambition as the responsible energy major sector player.

Mr Dokosi said the company had noticed that in many African countries there was a large difference between what the educational system teaches young people and the actual needs expressed by companies.

The programme gave beneficiaries skills that are transferable, thus enhancing their employability adding that “Every year, 37 African countries participate in the Young Graduate programme.

It is also an equal-opportunity programme because half of the participants are young women. Total Ghana will continue to empower young people in the country and grant them the opportunity to compete in the professional space through this programme.