In today’s time of abundant opportunities in the labour market, the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge can act as a major hurdle for students.

Practical knowledge is based on actual experience and application, whereas theoretical knowledge is based on abstract concepts and principles, and it goes without saying that students with adequate practical experiences have the upper hand in the labour market. Established in 2010 with the goal of offering practical tertiary education, BlueCrest College is a private tertiary institution located in Accra, Ghana.

From its inception, BlueCrest College has focused on providing a high standard of education through a combination of academic and industry-driven programs. The college offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in many academic disciplines, including Information Technology, Business Management, Journalism and Public Relations, and Fashion Design.

It consistently invests in infrastructure and technology with modern facilities that include libraries, computer labs, sewing labs, and lecture rooms that are wellfurnished to create a conducive learning environment.

Commitment to Industry Engagement

One of the key factors contributing to BlueCrest College’s growth and recognition is its commitment to industry engagement and partnerships. It seeks to establish strong ties with organizations and professional bodies to provide students with internship and job opportunities.

Its priority is to produce high-quality graduates who will excel in Leadership, Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (LITE). Currently, its graduates have gone on to thrive in their respective disciplines, thereby contributing to the country’s socioeconomic progress. BlueCrest provides a relevant and practical curriculum to meet the demands of the industry for all the programs offered. Some of the unique features of the BlueCrest are:

• Strong industry partnership and career services
• Faculty members are highly qualified and experienced
• State-of-the-art infrastructure
• Flexible learning options (in-person and online learning)
• Student support services

Identifying the Areas of Need

Bluecrest College has strong partnerships with industry investing in research to help identify areas of need and opportunities for innovation.

Capacity-building training of BlueCrest staff ensures continuous improvement and serves as an advantage to refine its brand into a unique one to improve the quality of education and the overall student experience.

BlueCrest prides itself as a PAN-African brand promoting diversity, inclusiveness, student exchanges and creativity amongst students.

Through the use of technology such as Moodle, its learning management system, the college enhances the educational experience for students and streamlines the teaching and learning process pre- and post-Covid.

Excitedly, Bluecrest College works with student ambassadors and alumni for some of its activities, building their talent and skills and consequently tends to provide job opportunities for them.

BlueCrest acquires student opinions and general feedback about the institution through surveys and focuses on student retention.

Providing Well-Rounded Education

BlueCrest takes the following measures to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education:

• Practical assignments and encouraging students to work in teams on some projects and assignments
• Train the faculty to prepare students for both college and future professions
• Organize career fairs and invite industry people to coach students
• Organize guest lectures for some programs with the industry people
• Create an environment where creativity thrives on developing critical thinking skills
• Promote international student exchange programs with other institutions to promote diversity and cultural knowledge.

Overall Intellectual Development

Research plays a significant role in the college. Through research, BlueCrest generates new knowledge in various fields, including technology, business, fashion, and IT. The faculty members and students engage in research projects to discover innovative ideas, theories, and solutions to real-world problems. This knowledge creation contributes to the overall intellectual development of the college.

Through its industry advisory board constituting key professionals from the banking, fashion, tech, and business industries, the college conducts research using real case studies from the industry for teaching and learning and develops practical applications of research findings. By working closely with industries, faculty gain insights into industry challenges, which helps align their research efforts with the needs of the country’s development agenda. This collaboration has the potential to lead to the development of innovative solutions that can positively impact Ghana’s socioeconomic growth.

BlueCrest hosts annual career fairs aimed at exposing industry requirements to the students to shape their expectations, provide insights and appreciate the processes involved in getting a job or internship from the industry.

Additionally, Bluecrest College has partnered with the British Council Ghana in 2023 to train 1500 young people on the creative economy in Africa. The goal is to groom entrepreneurs and change-makers for the creative industry.

Appreciating the Diversity

BlueCrest College is made up of a diverse student body. Its students come from nine different African countries such as Niger, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Gambia, Benin, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone etc. During each orientation session, BlueCrest teaches the significance of tolerance for students to appreciate diversity.

Additionally, it celebrates International Students’ Week (ISW) each year on campus to create awareness and showcase inclusivity; aside from that, it has instituted country ambassadors who represent and advocate for their students regarding their respective countries.

Bridging the Digital Divide

BlueCrest has partnerships with globally recognized institutions such as IBM, EC Council, British Council Ghana, Odina Couture, Ella Cardie, SG Bank Ghana, and Saylor Academy etc. This is intended to provide value addition and exposure to its students to the industry.

As part of activities to bridge the digital divide, Bluecrest offers two full scholarships in Business and Journalism to the youth in the kokomlemle, a local community on the campus is located. This initiative was in collaboration with the Kokomlemle traditional council each year. Additionally, through the Women in IT scholarships, it has been able to offer five full scholarships in Information Technology for young women to bridge the digital divide and encourage more women to take up STEM courses.

Validation of Success

Bluecrest takes pride in putting its best foot forward by employing its alumni. A typical example is Al-souni Ibrahim, a graduate of the 2016 Information Technology Class. He is a citizen of CHAD and currently working as an Information System Manager at BlueCrest College.

He discovered BlueCrest University College through his brother, who had completed NIIT. Based on his recommendation, he was eager to give the school a try and enrolled with the institution. During his first year, he fell in love with the university and its innovative way of providing education. His main focus was to acquire IT skills which would help him in future as he had already set the objectives and goals. BlueCrest helped him in attaining this as he was able to get both the theoretical and practical skills needed to succeed in this field. To date, he says his decision to study with BlueCrest University College has been one of the best decisions he has made.

While he was studying at BlueCrest, he was given the opportunity to do some internships, which gave him the field experience he needed to excel. After completing his four-year degree program in Information Technology, the university college saw the potential in him and employed him as the Information System Manager. The skills he learnt from BlueCrest have made him stand out in this field, and he thanks BlueCrest for such an experience.

Through Technology Integration, Industry Partnerships, Internships, Career Guidance, Placement Support and encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset among students, BlueCrest College fosters a can-do spirit which presents opportunities for its students to adapt to the rapidly changing job market.