GEA holds Graduation Ceremony for 3 Batches of the GEA-IPMA Diploma in Industrial Relations Programme

The Ghana Employers Association in collaboration with International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) on Friday June 4, 2021, held a graduation ceremony for the 2019 & 2020 year group of students of the GEA-IPMA Diploma in industrial relations programme. The programme, which was instituted in 2018 has helped to equip employees with the requisite skills and knowledge for Collective Bargaining and Dispute Settlement processes, as well as best Industrial Relations practices at their various organizations.

The event was attended by Dignitaries including the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah; the former Chief Executive officer of the Fair Wages & Salaries Commission and a Board member of IPMA, Mr. George Smith-Graham; the Deputy Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress Ghana, Mr. Joshua Ansah and the Chief Executive Officer of the GEA, Mr. Alex Frimpong.

The Hon. Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, in his keynote address, noted that in the history of Ghana, industrial relations have proven to be very critical for ensuring uninterrupted production and the smooth running of enterprises. He therefore charged the graduands to always ensure that the survival and sustainability of firms and jobs respectively are paramount when practicing the knowledge and skills they have acquired on the programme.

He added that effective industrial relations demand a technical understanding and appreciation of the rules so that stakeholders operate within acceptable norms to either avoid or regulate disputes when they emerge at the workplace.

The 2021 congregation was held for three (3) batches of students who completed the Programme between 2019 and 2020 but could not have their graduation ceremony due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of twenty-five (25) students successfully graduated from the programme at this year’s congregation.

The congregation was climaxed with an awards ceremony where students who distinguished themselves in terms of performance in the various subjects of the programme were given special awards. The students who came on top of their classes and were adjudged the overall best students were as follows:

• Clara Ofori-Appiah of SSNIT (class of 2018/2019)
• Emmanuel Osae Odei of Bank of Ghana (class of 2019)
• Anna-Pearl Nkansah of Movenpick Ambassador Hotel (class of 2019/20)

It is expected that the graduates will bring into operation or effect, the knowledge and skills acquired on the course in meeting the overall strategic objectives of their employers. On this note, we encourage all employers to enroll their employees on the GEA-IPMA Diploma in Industrial Relations Programme.