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Fifty students pursuing engineering at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) at Tarkwa have benefitted from scholarships from the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Ltd (BOST).
The gesture was part of BOST’s scholarship initiative to support the training of needy brilliant engineering students. The company said the quest to become engineers should not be hampered by their inability to access financial support from family sources due to other needs.
As part of the scholarship, the 50 beneficiaries have also been presented with laptops to enhance their academic work.
At the presentation ceremony, the Deputy Managing Director of BOST, Joseph Kpemka, said the support was part of its broader quest to impact the communities in which it operated through the sustainability arm of BOST.
He said it was important to note that the beneficiaries were brilliant, hence, the need to support them since knowledge acquired had the potential to transform not only the beneficiary students but impact the future generations and boost the country’s stock of skilled manpower for development.
“Let me say, recipients of awards, it is incumbent on you to ensure that you perform better academically. I challenge you all to do well in your studies to stand a better chance of securing lucrative employment when you exit and enter the corporate world of work or venture into other fields of free enterprise, create jobs and employ others.
“I know that some of you have gone through a lot, but the support you are receiving today should mark the turning point in your academic journey. Make a personal pledge to yourselves to strive to form an appreciation of the trust reposed in you by BOST and your families,” he said.
Mr Kpemka assured the beneficiaries that apart from the interventions, they would be mentored through monitoring as they progressed, and that those who would excel stood a great chance of benefitting from future endeavours and opportunities at BOST for employment.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor of UMaT, Anthony Simons, commended BOST for the initiative, which he said would take the pressure from university authorities in the provision of such support to needy students.
He reminded the beneficiaries and the student body that engineering departments and other schools didn’t sleep, “therefore, there is no way you can sleep. Your sponsors are looking at you and depending upon your output, perhaps you stand a chance of being employed at BOST in the future, so please have that at the back of your mind.”
A beneficiary, Karen Tetteh, on behalf of all the others, expressed appreciation to BOST for the opportunity and gave the assurance that they would work hard to justify the investment in their education.
“We know there are thousands out there that need the support and we are fortunate to be beneficiaries and we will not let you down,” she said.
