Sports News - Standard Chartered and Liverpool announce Sponsorship Deal

Goodbye Carlsberg, Hello Standard Chartered. - LIVERPOOL FC



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LIVERPOOL AND STANDARD CHARTERED ANNOUNCE SPONSORSHIP DEAL

Liverpool FC and Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) announced on 14 September 2009 an agreed 4-year sponsorship deal which will see SCB as the club's main sponsor - the largest commercial agreement in the history of Liverpool.

The Sponsorship Agreement which kicks off in July 2010 to 2013-14 season, will see the bank's name and logo appearing on Liverpool's shirt.


" This partnership brings together 2 highly successful organizations with a really strong cultural and strategic fit. The sponsorship opportunity attracted a huge level of interest from a wide array of globally recognized brands and in Standard Chartered we believe we have the ideal partner to move forward and help develop our global ambitions for the club. It is a real sign of the progress we have made at Liverpool that we have been able to secure the largest-ever commercial deal in our history " . - Christian Purslow, MD, Liverpool Football Club.


" This is a great partnership. We are excited to be working with such a famous global brand as Liverpool Football Club for the next 4 years. This is an outstanding opportunity for Standard Chartered, our customers and shareholders, and for Liverpool, its players and fans.

We see many opportunities to continue growing our business, particularly as Asia, Africa and Middle East are emerging from the global downturn more quickly than the West. This sponsorship will drive a step change in brand recognition in our key markets and will provide an additional catalyst for our business growth ". - Peter Sands, Group Chief Executive : Standard Chartered PLC.



This new agreement will terminate Liverpool's 17-year partnership with Carlsberg, LFC current Kit Sponsor.

From next season Standard Chartered will be paying Liverpool 20 million Pounds a season for 4 years as the Clubs official main sponsor, where as the club's current deal with Carlsberg, for instance, is only worth just over 7 million Pounds a year and was agreed whiles Rick Parry was still at the club.


Liverpool's new deal matches the world record club shirt sponsorship deal, that was signed by Man. United with American Financiers AON - due to start next season.

" We think it is now overdue that Liverpool got a deal that reflected the club's enormous world-wide potential and we feel that Carlsberg have had Liverpool's sponsorship on the cheap for so many years ". - LFC News

Standard Chartered In; Carlsberg Kicked Out

  
 
Standard Chartered - leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East

Liverpool FC is the most successful club in English football, enjoying a global following most recently evidenced in its highly successful pre-season tour of Singapore and Thailand. As official club sponsors, Standard Chartered will enjoy a major rights package which will provide the platform to significantly step up the Bank's brand awareness across its core markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.


Standard Chartered PLC, listed on both London and Hong Kong stock exchanges, ranks among the top 25 companies in the FTSE - 100 by market capitalization.
The London-headquartered Group has operated for over 150 years in some of the world's most dynamic markets, leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Its income and profits have more than doubled over the last 5 years primarily as a result of organic growth.


Standard Chartered aspires to be the best international bank for its customers across its markets. The Group earns around 90 per cent of its income and profits in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, from its Wholesale and Consumer Banking businesses. The Group has over 1600 branches and outlets located in over 70 countries. The extraordinary growth of its markets and businesses creates exciting and challenging international career opportunities.

Leading by example to be the right partner for its stakeholders, the Group is committed to building a sustainable, business over the long term and is trusted worldwide for upholding high standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, environmental protection and employee diversity.

It employs around 70,000 people, nearly half of whom are Women. The Group's employees are of 125 nationalities, of which about 70 are represented in the Senior Management.

BY : OWURACHY
owurachy@myself.com 

Tertiary Education in Ghana: Graduate Unemployment - From the Margins to the Mainstream

GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT
"From the Margins to the Mainstream"
 


" You work hard, study harder, complete your coursework with minutes to spare and then make it through your final exams. Then what... ? "

Preparing for the world of work is an important element in any undergraduate education. Unfortunately, in Ghana, our public universities do not offer degree programs that seek to provide prospective students the requisite skills needed to enhance their performance and increase their productivity in the corporate world.

In Club UK, a British Council's magazine for International Students, Sara Mcdonnell investigated how UK Universities are helping students make a successful transition to the corporate environment.

According to Sara, an increasing number of UK Universities and Colleges are helping graduates gain vital work-related skills that will make them more attractive to employers.
 "With fierce competition for top graduate jobs, recent graduates are looking to gain practical skills and experience to ensure their place on the career ladder." - Sara.

" Nowadays there are more and more people graduating from the universities worldwide, therefore having just a degree is not enough to stand you out from the crowd " . - Nicola Glover [IT & Communications Student, LJMU - UK]

Fellow Marketing Student, Ryan Jones agrees with Nicola and says, " I am considering post-university life a lot and I am seriously focusing on giving myself an edge on other graduates ".

THE WoW INITIATIVE

The Graduate Development Center (GDC) of  Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) - UK piloted the World of Work (WoW) Initiative, designed to enhance students employability by identifying gaps in their experience and then tailoring a personal development plan to help fill in those gaps.

The WoW Initiative has four (4) Levels :



i. The Diagnostic Stage : Which seeks to identify the gaps in the employability skills of graduates.

ii. The Career Advisor's Stage : Here, students discuss those gaps with a professional career advisor. Once the advisor and student have identified where the gaps are, example; working as part of a team, they will put together a series of workshops for the student to attend.

iii. The Student Profile Stage : At this level, students are made to write a short profile that records where they are at and why they think they have got the evidence of employability skills.

iv. The Interview Stage : Finally, the process ends with an interview with an employer from a reputable firm, who will verify and then hopefully award an LJMU World of Work Certificate.

Even in Ghana, one of the largest commercial banks in the country, GCB, has a Graduate Entrance Training (GET) program which commenced in 2007.
This program has been specifically structured to provide the targeted graduates with the right skills that are required to enhance their performance on the job.

" This program has been successful in attracting and retaining highly qualified staff to the Bank ". - Mr. L.N. Adu-Mante (MD-GCB)







PricewaterhouseCoopers - Ghana's leading Professional Services Firm, is now seeking applications from graduates from all degree disciplines who are ;

. Initiative
. Have great interpersonal skills
. Passionate and Committed

Standard Chartered, one of the world's best international bank is also providing great opportunities for graduates who have a strong desire to learn with a training program dubbed International Graduate Programme (IGP).

StanChart believes as a rapidly growing bank with strong financial performance and robust foundation for growth, graduates who are highly ambitious, intelligent, creative and achievement oriented are eligible to join the IGP.

The IGP seeks to help graduates who have a strong desire to build an extraordinary career in Banking.










Synergy Global HR Programs, a Ghanaian-based educational firm, in collaboration with the Student's Representative Council (SRC) of University of Ghana (UG) - Legon recently organized a Career Fair dubbed - " How Do I Leap From School To My Dream Career " .

The highlights of the fair touched on vital topics such as :

. Corporate Grooming
. Training on Netiquette
. ABCs of Ghana's Labour Code
. ABCs of Graduate School Application

Students who participated in the Synergy Career Fair 2010 were also given for free CV Templates and Aptitude Test Samples.

The program which was gladly sponsored by MTN and Newmont Ghana saw seasoned Corporate Trainers from World-Class Firms and Institutions like Google Ghana, Oxford & Beautmont Solicitors, Stanbic Bank, Access Bank, Education USA and CityLink Airline.

The main purpose of the Career Fair was to help prospective graduates break easily into the Job Market.








Vodafone Ghana, a subsidiary of Vodafone Telecom Communications ( one of the largest Telecom Communications Networks on the planet ) has seen the need to train young graduates in Ghana who have the passion and the drive to thrive in a competitive work environment.

The training programme, Vodafone Ghana's Discovery Program, is focused on nurturing young talents into capable future leaders of the organization by continually challenging and developing their set skills.

Successful Candidates that get selected for the training program will get a life-time opportunity to work on real projects in an exciting ultra-modern environment.
Vodafone believes these experiences will afford participants with numerous opportunities that will build their comprehensive Commercial and Technical-know how and also develop their leadership capabilities.



" Nowadays,  Business Enterprises are looking for young graduates who will be able to think outside the box and develop initiative products for their companies . "   -  Pearl Esua-Mensah , Deputy MD - UT Bank Ghana Ltd, on Today's Woman Career & Professional Segment Show - TV3. 








Conclusion :




Nobody is saying academic skills are not valued by employers, far from it. For many employers a good university degree is vital, all other things being equal.


But the issue is, all over the world, recruiters require graduates who have ; good communication skills, team working skills, analysis and problem solving skills, meeting skills, customer care skills, telephone skills, numerical reasoning skills, good presentation skills and finally IT skills.


Mr. Terry Dray, director of the Graduate Development Center of LJMU hopes that WoW Certificate will come to be recognized as a credible indication of a graduate's employability that can be used alongside their Degree Certificate.



" ... Of  late, employers are increasingly seeking graduates who are better prepared to start their careers & can demonstrate how they have developed transferable skills while studying for their degree ... " . - Hubert Yaw - Adjei Antwi ( President - Campus Focus Networks - Ghana )

By : OWURACHY

owurachy@myself.com

Business Article: The GCB MasterCard - The MUST have Card

THE MASTERCARD EXPERIENCE
"THE CASE OF GCB"

Over the years, the use of international debit/credit cards on the global market has trended upwards, notwithstanding the risks involved.

MasterCard, like any other international electronic payment card brand, enables its clients who travel abroad to purchase items either through a POS terminal or shop on the internet. Customers can also use the MasterCard at all MasterCard,Maestro or Cirrus ATMs worldwide.

In 2007, Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) - the bank with the largest / widest branches in Ghana - signed an agreement with MasterCard International and acquired a principal status certification in order to roll out MasterCard branded products throughout the country.

GCB with its 135 networked branches and 10 agencies will sponsor affiliates and work with merchants as well as customers to roll out the various types of MasterCard including credits and pre-paid cards

Prior to this, GCB had fully established its Royal Banking Service which had been piloted in 2006. Again, a comprehensive agreement between the bank and MoneyGram International, a reputable global money transfer company was signed in addition to the Bank's existing international money transfer agents.

"In a competitive banking environment we are not relenting in our effort at innovation to enable us offer quality service to customers". - Mr. Lawrence N. Adu Mante ( Former MD-GCB : 2007 ANNUAL REPORT)

THE GCB MasterCard

GCB offers unembossed range of MasterCard Debit products. These cards turn good deals into great ones by adding value to large/small purchases and cash withdrawal with convenience, protection, and enhanced benefits.

RANGE OF CARDS ON OFFER



a. Corporate Debit Card
b. Gold Debit Card
c. Standard Debit Card

BENEFITS

. Acceptable in over 25 million locations
. Worldwide Acceptance - you're never far from a MasterCard, Maestro or Cirrus ATM
. 24-Hour banking worldwide
. Can be used at all GCB ATMs and that of other Banks
. Global Service Access - superior advantage to cash and cheques
. Purchases directly from your account
. Regular transaction statements
. Travel information privileges
. Wider Service Options



GCB's association with MasterCard dates back to the years when it introduced the first Prepaid Card, MONDEX , another product of MasterCard. The bank officials say their electronic payment system will be integrated into the domestic platform being sponsored by the Bank of Ghana (BoG)






In line with the Bank's mission statement " to be the established leader in banking, satisfying the expectations of customers and shareholders, providing a full range of cost efficient and high quality services through the optimization of information technology and efficient branch network ", GCB will continue to expand the International Branded Card Program by implementing merchant acquiring ; MasterCard Credit Cards Issuing, Visa ATM Acquiring, Visa Credit/Debit Cards Issuing.



 


"Finally, my greatest appreciation goes to the hardworking staff of the Bank for their contribution to the sterling performance of the Bank during the year.
I must say that the relative improvement in the results for 2008 is an indication of their dedication
to duty , diligence and loyalty to the Bank without which these results would not have been achieved.
It is my fervent hope that all stakeholders will put in greater effort towards achieving higher

laurels for the Bank in the years ahead" . - Mr. L. N. Adu-Mante ( Former MD-GCB : 2008 ANNUAL REPORT)

By : OWURACHY

owurachy@myself.com

THE CAMPUS FOCUS EXPERIENCE 2

WHAT CAMPUS FOCUS (CF) WANTS TO ACHIEVE.

a. We want to see the full realization of the slogan of Campus Focus: "...Sharing The Relevant..."
By this, we mean getting students fully informed about all the events and activities on our various campuses.

b. We want to get our uni lecturers closer to the student body. We believe most of the students take their lecturers and professors as role-models. We would therefore interview them exclusively as part of our program.

c. Campus Focus Magazine: CF will also come out with a free picture magazine at least one per semester. This would enable us "... Share the Relevant..." with our our offline folks.

d. Campus Focus (CF) from time to time will be organizing events, seminars and other programs for the benefit of its members and other students.

e. Campus Focus (CF) will extensively partner with all the radio stations on our various tertiary campuses and other media houses in order for us to discharge our responsibilities more easily.

f. Finally, Campus Focus (CF) with its IT Experts will work with some of its software programmers to develop a School Management Program (SMP) that will be donated freely to some selected JHS and SHS schools across the country.

Campus Focus Network (CFN) Membership

Campus Focus membership is strictly based on studentship in all the SHS schools as well as tertiary institutions across the country and beyond.
All our members will be entitled to free seminars and workshops ranging from ICT to professional journalism courses. This will enable our cherished members to be well equipped for the tasks they face in school and in the world of work.
Members will be issued with certificates for any program they pursue.

Through our network, we hope to link student members to media houses and our corporate bodies for them to have their internship programs with them.

The CFN Team

i. Writers / Reporters / Editors


ii. Interviewers / Photographers / Graphic Designers


iii. ICT Networking Professionals

By : OWURACHY

owurachy@myself.com

THE CAMPUS FOCUS EXPERIENCE 1

WHAT CAMPUS FOCUS IS ALL ABOUT
Campus Focus  is a human capital development organization which is non-governmental and non-profit oriented.

Our Mission

Our mission is to integrate the activities of students on various campuses across the country and beyond, and also ensure the effective and successful implementation of ICT in Educational Policies in Ghana.
The potential of ICT in fostering educational development in the developing world and for that matter Ghana is unequivocally clear when we look at the education challenges that confront us.

Campus Focus seeks to achieve this through its networks on various campuses known as CAMPUS FOCUS NETWORK (CFN).
These groups of students seek to address the challenges facing students and make them known through an online medium known as www.campusfocus.net.

This electronic medium will help students across the country to share solutions in addressing these challenges facing them.

Campus Focus also seeks to create a better platform for social networking among Ghanaian students. This would enable our students to meet with others who also share similar interest, ideas and learning resources that will develop them to graduate as social beings.

THE STATE OF CAMPUS FOCUS NETWORK (CFN)

Campus Focus Network (CFN), Legon, is the mother of all the other networks on the various campuses. It has a membership base of about 500.
It is however worthy of note, that, although the network has shown lots of prospects, more can be done to raise it to a higher level that we all seek since www.campusfocus.net has also been reformed to enhance our social networking experience.

Slogan

We want to see the full realization of the slogan of Campus Focus - "... Sharing the relevant..."
By this, we mean getting students fully informed about all the happenings on our various tertiary campuses.

By : OWURACHY

owurachy@myself.com