BaFSA holds capacity building seminar

Story: Maxwell Adombila Akalaare

THE Banking and Finance Students Association (BaFSA) of the Institute of Professional Students (IPS), has organised a three-day capacity building seminar for its members.
The annual seminar,  which was  organised in collaboration with CDH Securities and Akotia and Partners Limited, both consultancy firms based in Accra, was to expose students to practice experiences in the job field and afford them the opportunity to interact with renowned industry practitioners in the country.
Speaking on the need for an investment culture among young persons, Prof J. B. Aheto, a  chartered accountant and lecturer at the Central University College called on the students to adopt an investment philosophy as a guideline to their investment.
He bemoaned the lack of investment habit among the youth and thus called on them to take up the initiative of investing in lucrative ventures as they await their future.
On the need for the seminar, Mr James Quaye Ayertey, president of the BaFSA said students over the years "chew theory and go out there to perform abysmally in practice."
He observed that most of the theories taught students in Ghana were foreign-based making it difficult for fresh graduates to fully apply what they have learnt at the job market.
"We need practical experience to compliment what we have learnt in the classroom", Mr Ayertey said adding that the association was optimistic the seminar would "equip students with the needed experiences" as they prepare to meet the practical realities of what they had learnt.
 The CEO of Akotia and Partners Limited, Mr Aseye Akotia, and a resource person at the seminar said the gap between theory and practice in the country was further widening and therefore needed redress.
"There is a big gap between theory and practice in this country", he said adding that his management consultancy firm had realised this and was therefore partnering the student groups as a way of helping bridge the existing gap.
Mr Akotia was of the view that theoretical ideas taught students without practical direction was useless and hoped that the students would at the end of the seminar get "at least a sentence from these practised professionals that would help impact positively in their professional lives".
Mr Akotia furher disclosed that the firm would in the coming months be organising same capacity building seminars in other tertiary institutions throughout the country as a way of exposing them to the realities of the job market.