Let’s use STEM to speed up economic growth, development – Kwabena Bempong

No nation can truly achieve a genuine eco­nomic growth and develop­ment without Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills, the Ghana Institution of Engi­neering (GhIE), has stated.

It said the government, private sector and GhIE should harmonise efforts to facilitate the training and development of engineering practitioners.

Additionally, GhIE suggested that Ghana needed to create, implement and enforce national engineering standards that con­formed to regional and interna­tional benchmarks.

The new President of GhIE, Kwabena Bempong, was speaking here at a news conference after a three-day discussion among stakeholders, industry captains and delegates at its 53rd annual general meeting held.

It was on the theme “Resilient engineering for national develop­ment”.

Mr Bempong said for Ghana to achieve a sustainable prac­tice of engineering, public, and private companies, the govern­ment and business owners must prioritise ethical behaviour and business practices.

This would promote trans­parency and fairness, including meritocracy in the development of leadership in succession plan­ning, sustainable institutions and national development, he said.

The GhIE President added, “The crux of Ghana’s innovators and brains are constantly being stripped away, lured with edu­cational opportunities through scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate studies and special­isations.

“As a matter of urgency, gov­ernment, industry and the GhIE should collaborate to provide the needed resources to improve the capacities of local educational institutions, research centres, and provide the needed opportunities for human capital development.”

To achieve sustainable small-scale mining, Mr Bempong called for the implementation of sustainable development policies, improving skill sets in environ­mental, social and governance practices, developing a sustain­able reserve plan and effective enforcement.

“By adopting this comprehen­sive approach, we can reduce the environmental impacts of mining operations to promote the long-term social and economic ben­efits of small-scale mining, and ensure that mining companies operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner,” he said.