A GRAND exhibition was held at the Ho Technical University (HTU) on Thursday (December 18) to coincide with the graduation ceremony of 270 Precision Quality (PQ) interns.

The internship was organised jointly by the Design Technology Institute, Accents and Arts, and MasterCard Foundation.
The interns graduated after a six-month training in the areas of hospitality, fashion, business skills, and welding and fabrication.

The event was on theme: Empowering the next Generation Through Precision, Quality, and Innovation.
The Vice Chancellor of HTU, Professor Ben Q. Honyenuga said at the ceremony that in a rapidly changing global economy, success is no longer defined by the mere acquisition of knowledge.

“It hinges on skills, creativity, discipline, and the ability to innovate with purpose,” he said.
Professor Honyenuga said precision demanded a keen attention to detailed and a relentless pursuit of excellence; quality signified unwavering standards, consistency and professionalism; and innovation fueled relevance, competitiveness, and transformative change.

Those were the foundational attributes that the interns were purposefully trained to embody, he said.
The Vice Chancellor said the event bore ample testimony to the fruitfulness and positive possibilities from the collaboration between academia and industry with a shared vision for the future.

“At HTU, we strongly believe that universities must be solution-oriented institutions, producing graduates who are not only employable but also entrepreneurial, innovative, and socially responsible,” he maintained.
For that matter, Professor Honyenuga said the university embraced Precision Quality across all departments, implementing it as a strategic initiative to meet evolving industry demands.

Earlier, the General Manager of Accents and Arts, Mrs Bernice Gavor said 88 graduates had, since the launched of the Precision Quality programme in April, secured employment after their training, with more placements in progress.
“Leading companies have across telecommunications, fashion and design, engineering, welding and fabrication, insurance, creative media, technology, hospitality, and interior design have opened their doors to our graduates.

“That affirms their confidence in the Precision Quality model and calibre of talent in produces,” she added.
Mrs Gavor announced that five graduate-led ventures from the training would receive USD1000 in seed capital and undergo six-month incubation at the programme’s Innovation Hub to receive mentorship, access facilities, and benefit from market coaching.
In addition, she said, 44 graduates would receive start-up kits valued at USD 600 each and participates in a three-month acceleration programme to ensure that innovation ideas were transformed into valuable businesses.
Mrs Gavor said the Precision Quality programmes stood as a strategic workforce development intervention, designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry demands by combining theory, hands-on skills, practice, and mentorship.

“Through this integrated approach, the programme equips young professionals with both expertise and essential soft skills, preparing them not only for employment, but for meaningful contribution to national development,” she added.
Pix: 1. Professor Ben Q. Honyenuga (left), Vice Chancellor of HTU at one of the exhibitions stands
      2. Other scenes from the exhibition