The Regional Maritime University (RMU), through its Marketing Unit, conducted an extensive career counselling and sensitization campaign across forty (40) senior high schools and Cambridge/STEM academies in Ghana.
The outreach team comprised Dr. Salifu Jobe, Marketing Officer; Ms. Matilda Obeng, Marketing Assistant; and Mr. Edem Agbeko, the driver, who also assisted in addressing marketing enquiries during the sessions. Together, the team engaged students on the significance and opportunities within the maritime industry.
This initiative forms part of the University’s short- and long-term strategic efforts to increase student enrolment while expanding awareness of maritime education among students in Ghana’s secondary cycle institutions.
The outreach programme aimed to expose students to the wide range of career opportunities within the global maritime industry while encouraging them to consider the Regional Maritime University as a leading centre for maritime education and a viable professional pathway. Through interactive sessions, students were introduced to the critical roles maritime professionals play in facilitating international trade, ensuring maritime safety, protecting the marine environment, and supporting national economic development.
A central theme of the presentations was to ignite a passion for maritime careers among young people, encouraging them to see themselves as the next generation of professionals sustaining one of the world’s most strategic industries. With over 80 percent of global trade transported by sea, the demand continues to grow for skilled professionals in areas such as shipping, logistics, marine engineering, maritime law, port management, and marine environmental protection.
OUTREACH COVERAGE ACROSS THREE KEY REGIONS
The campaign began in the Greater Accra Region, before extending to the Western Region and the Central Region. Each location offered a unique opportunity to contextualize maritime education in ways that resonated with the local environment, history, and economic activity.
GREATER ACCRA REGION: UNDERSTANDING THE MARITIME INDUSTRY BEHIND EVERYDAY LIFE
In the Greater Accra Region, the outreach highlighted how modern cities depend heavily on the maritime industry for everyday goods and services. Students were introduced to the concept that global supply chains begin and end at sea, and that the products used daily from food items to electronics and vehicles are largely transported by ships.
Sessions in the region emphasized the importance of maritime education in training professionals who manage ports, coordinate shipping logistics, enforce maritime regulations, and operate vessels that sustain international commerce.
Students were encouraged to understand that maritime careers extend far beyond seafaring, encompassing fields such as shipping and logistics management, marine engineering and naval architecture, maritime law and policy, port and harbour management, marine environmental protection, and maritime safety and security all programmes readily available at the Regional Maritime University (RMU). By connecting these career paths to the demands of growing urban economies, the programme helped students appreciate the vital role maritime professionals play in sustaining modern societies.
WESTERN REGION: CONNECTING MARITIME CAREERS TO PORT ACTIVITY AND GLOBAL TRADE
In the Western Region, the campaign focused on the economic significance of port operations, particularly around Port of Takoradi in Takoradi. Students were encouraged to see the port not merely as a coastal infrastructure but as a gateway connecting Ghana to global markets. Discussions highlighted how cargo handled at the port supports industries such as oil and gas, mining, agriculture, and manufacturing etc.
The outreach illustrated how maritime professionals serve as the critical workforce that links global trade with national economic demand. Students learned that careers in maritime studies could position them to work in areas such as: Port operations and terminal management, Offshore and marine engineering, Shipping agency and maritime logistics, Vessel traffic management, Maritime safety and environmental monitoring. By relating maritime education to the economic activity visible in their environment, the sessions demonstrated how young people from the region could directly participate in driving Ghana’s trade and industrial growth.
CENTRAL REGION: MARITIME HISTORY AND THE OCEAN’S ROLE IN GLOBAL EXCHANGE
In the Central Region, the campaign incorporated a historical perspective, drawing connections between the region’s coastal heritage and the evolution of maritime trade.
Students were introduced to the historic role of coastal fortifications such as Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, which historically served as points of interaction between Africa and global trade routes. These landmarks provided a powerful context for explaining how the ocean has long served as a bridge for commerce, cultural exchange, and economic interaction.
The presentations emphasized that while maritime trade has evolved significantly since those early periods, the ocean remains central to global commerce today. Modern ships, ports, and logistics networks continue to rely on skilled professionals trained in maritime disciplines.
Students were therefore encouraged to view maritime education as an opportunity to transform historical maritime connections into modern professional careers that contribute to national and global development
EXTENDING MARITIME AWARENESS TO CAMBRIDGE AND STEM ACADEMIES
As part of the outreach initiative, the Regional Maritime University (RMU) also extended its engagements to Cambridge and STEM academies, areas that have traditionally received limited exposure to maritime career education. These institutions, known for their strong focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, represent an important yet largely untapped pool of talent for the maritime industry. By engaging students in these academies, the University sought to highlight how disciplines such as engineering, data analytics, robotics, environmental science, and technology are increasingly shaping the future of maritime operations.
By expanding the outreach to Cambridge and STEM academies, RMU is strategically positioning maritime education within Ghana’s evolving science and technology landscape, while encouraging academically inclined students to apply their technical expertise to solving real-world challenges
The Marketing Unit of the Regional Maritime University remains committed to expanding this outreach initiative to more schools across the country. Through sustained engagement with students, educators, and career guidance coordinators, the University aims to ensure that young people are well informed about the opportunities available within the maritime sector.
As global trade continues to expand and maritime operations become increasingly sophisticated, programmes such as these play an essential role in preparing the next generation of maritime professionals who will shape the future of the industry.
Information Source: Marketing Unit
Information Date: 16th March, 2026