A Paris Graduate School of Management (PGSM) Alumni-Ghana has been inaugurated to create a network of a better future for members.

The PGSM is a 12-month online course for managers and executives leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and the International Executive MBA.

The inauguration, held in Accra, was on the theme; “Alumni Networking; Key to Opportunities and Advancement.

It featured the unveiling of the alumni logo, cloth to make the Association stand out and the swearing-in of the Executive members.

Mr John Aseeph, the Vice President of PGSM Alumni-Ghana, in a brief history, indicated that the School, which started in Ghana in 2003, had about 3,000 graduates in the country.

He said there had been failures in the past to have all the graduates under one umbrella and, therefore, was hopeful that with the official inauguration they would be able to sustain the Association.

Mr Aseeph said the alumni offered a lot of opportunities for members and urged other graduates who are not yet members to join.

Mr Hugh Aryee, the President of PGSM Alumni-Ghana, noted that the Association had come to stay and asked members to connect with other colleagues to support each other.

Professor Mike Wooi, the Dean of PGSM, commended the graduates for forming the Association saying it would provide them with real life benefits.

“Use the various expertise you have acquired to enable the alumni progress and succeed,” he stated.

Mr Micheal Luguje, the Director-General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, in a speech read on his behalf, advised members to use their positions as top managers and leaders in their various organisations to solicit support for the Alumni saying; “This will provide resources to make the Association more visible.”

He urged members to take active interest and participate in activities to ensure the growth of the Alumni.

Ms Efua Asabea Asare, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ghana Export Promotion Centre, in a speech read on her behalf, congratulated the executives on the bold step to form the Association irrespective of the challenges.

Speaking on the topic; “Bridging the Gap in Education and Entrepreneurship, The Role of the Alumni” she said even though government had put in place initiatives such as the Nation Builders Corps and Youth Employment Agency, to give work experience to the youth, this was not enough to bridge the unemployment gap.

Ms Asare said there was the need to create a direct link between formal education and entrepreneurship to ensure ready jobs for the teaming youth.

The CEO said one of the ways to reduce unemployment in the country was to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship and this was where the alumni needed to come in to provide the expertise.

“Being an entrepreneur requires capital, workforce, good management principles and a more daunting task of research to be able to penetrate the market and capture a share”.

“Expecting a fresh graduate to have all these qualities is not possible, hence the need and assistance of an alumni.”

She, therefore, urged the experienced Alumni members to guide the fresh graduates to reach their goals.

This could be done by making choices based on their interests, assisting with fundraising, partnerships, acting as their mentors, and marketing them to people in their network to secure their future.