The General Manager for the Tema Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ing. Emmanuel Akinie has reiterated the need for the conscious development of Soft Skills as a major contributor to one’s career growth.
Speaking as the Guest Speaker at the eighth Certification and Exhibition ceremony of the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Tema on the theme, “Development of Soft Skills and Vocational Technical Skills, A prior requirement to the labour market entry”, Ing Akinie shared that in his career as an Engineer, he has come to appreciate the major role Soft Skills has played in his growth and advancement. He shared that “technical skills which is also sometimes referred to as hard skills are job-specific knowledge and expertise that are needed to perform specific tasks whilst Soft Skills are interpersonal and behavioral skills that helps you to work well with other people and develop your career”.
Ing. Akinie admonished the students to ensure cordial working relationships wherever they find themselves and to live in harmony with others. He shared how, despite their technical competence, they can progress further with the Soft Skills because they will need others inputs in order to propel themselves.
He reminded the students that in the Ghanaian cultural settings, for example, greeting is considered a very important cultural and social issue, such that if one decides to not greet whoever they are working with, it could be seen as they are ignoring their Bosses and colleagues and this will go to their disadvantage.
The Guest Speaker also outlined some points which can help with the development of Soft Skills. These include effective and clear communication as much as possible, problem solving, empathy and the ability to work in a team environment. He also spoke about adaptability, adding that advancements are happening around us always. For one to stay relevant, one must ensure that they are leaning new knowledge and ways of managing tasks.
In his closing remark, Ing. Akinie told the students to “be humble, honest and to be ready to serve mankind with all humility”.