CEO of the McDan Group of Companies, Dr Daniel McKorley
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the McDan Group of Companies, Dr. Daniel McKorley, has called for a radical shift in how internships are structured.
Delivering a keynote address at a chancellor’s lecture and history book launch as part of Kumasi Technical University’s (KsTU) 70th-anniversary celebration, Dr. McKorley criticized the common practice of companies using interns as “messengers” rather than providing meaningful training.
“Whenever you send students to companies to learn, they end up being turned into messengers. They send them to buy food,” Dr. McKorley lamented.
He highlighted the absurdity of assigning tasks like running errands to students studying electrical engineering or other technical fields, effectively wasting valuable learning time.
While acknowledging the importance of understanding workplace culture, Dr. McKorley emphasized that companies must prioritize the development of interns’ skills.
“Too often, businesses use interns as a source of free labor, assigning them tasks meant for paid employees while offering little or no professional development in return. If we truly want to prepare our youth for the workforce, we must give them real work experience—not lunch delivery schedules,” he said.
Dr. McKorley reaffirmed the McDan Group’s commitment to skills training through initiatives like the McDan Entrepreneur Challenge and scholarships.
He urged businesses, policymakers, and educational institutions to take action.
“It is time to move beyond just discussing the skills gap. It is time to take action,” he added.
Beyond internships, Dr. McKorley spoke passionately about Ghana’s industrial sector, particularly the salt industry, given McDan’s ownership of one of Africa’s largest salt mines.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that technical students benefit from this resource. He also announced the construction of a salt refinery and a chlor-alkali plant to produce chemicals for the mining industry—projects that will provide valuable opportunities for KsTU students.
Dr. McKorley further advocated for a significant overhaul of the university’s curriculum, suggesting that students spend their second year in the field to gain practical industry knowledge before graduation.
“I will advocate for students to gain industry experience before they complete their studies so we don’t continue producing graduates who must start learning from scratch,” he added.
He also emphasized the need for increased industry collaboration through mentorship programs, urging universities to bring industry experts into the classroom to share practical knowledge.
“I believe that everyone who goes through a technical institution is an entrepreneur by nature,” he noted, stressing the importance of entrepreneurship training in the curriculum. “The moment they leave here and start their own business, they should understand that in business, one plus one equals three.”
Dr. McKorley concluded by stating that “investment in technical education is an investment in our future.”
He called for prioritizing infrastructure, curriculum reform, and industry collaboration to better prepare students for success.
Additionally, he urged a shift in mindset, encouraging Ghanaians to “think local and act global” to foster entrepreneurship and build a prosperous future.