A Group Photograph Of Graduands With Dr. Edward Kwapong And Other Dignitries
The newly-elected President of the Institute of Human Resources Practitioners, Ghana (IHRMP), Dr Edward Kwapong, has said that to be relevant to the industry, HR practitioners must welcome professional certification and say goodbye to raw academic qualifications.
Dr Kwapong stated this when he delivered his speech at the ninth graduation ceremony of the IHRMP, held in Accra on Friday, December 8, 2017 at the premises of the Ghana Academy of Arts & Sciences.
“Academic giants are exchanging the academic crowns for professional trowels and that is the reality of the situation. Goodbye raw academic qualification, welcome professional certification. The days of academic fleece are over, the time has come for professional fleece,” the president of IHRMP added.
In his welcome address, Executive Director of IHRMP, Mr Ebenezer Agbetor, said, “This morning’s event marks a high point in the calendar of activities of the institute because it shows that we are growing as an institute since the inception of the Professional Certification Programme (PCP) in 2002. The numbers graduating today are 136 associate and nine certified members as against last year figures of 98 and 12 respectively. A remarkably increase of 32 percent in the number of students graduating.”
Speaking on the theme: ‘Artificial Intelligence And Robotics – The continued Relevance of HR Management’, Mrs Irene Asare, Director of HR, Facilities & Administration of Tullow Ghana Limited, explained that “it is not the future of the workplace, it is here with us and happening today in our workplaces. A radical change is already evident in the customer service sector. Chatbots (a software developed to enhance communication), is now the most popular to provide around the clock service for customers. Unlike a conventional call centre, a Chabot never sleeps, it never needs to go on a lunch break and it never gets impatient with its customers. I have to say we really need to improve our customer service culture in Ghana.”
The programme was attended by the vice president of the institute, Mr Leo Quarcoopome, national governing council members, chairman and members of the professional certification board, resources persons, student members, families of graduands and the media.