23 Ghanaian Returnees Graduate from IOM-DHL Logistics Programme, Secure Internships

Twenty-three Ghanaian migrant returnees graduated Wednesday from a logistics and digital skills programme run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), DHL and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), securing  internship placements at DHL as part of their reintegration.

The graduates completed the IOM-DHL Ubuntu Academy in Accra, a programme designed to sharpen workplace readiness and help returnees rebuild economic independence after coming home. DHL donated 16 laptops to the cohort and will place graduates in  internships to give them hands-on industry experience.

The ceremony, themed “Empowering Returnees Through Skills, Dignity and Opportunity,” marks a milestone for a partnership that launched in Accra in January 2026 with an initial cohort of 50 young returnees aged 18 to 25. DHL and IOM have said the platform aims to eventually reach 10,000 young people across Africa and the Middle East, building on pilot programmes already running in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and the Philippines.

Fatou Diallo Ndiaye, IOM’s chief of mission with coordinating functions, said sustainable reintegration required more than transporting migrants back to Ghana. Returnees needed skills training, mentorship and real economic opportunities to rebuild their lives, she said. She credited the Ubuntu Academy with giving graduates the confidence and practical ability to pursue meaningful employment, and pointed to the DHL laptop donation and internship offers as evidence that international agencies, government bodies and private companies could work together on migrant reintegration.

Since 2022, IOM has facilitated the voluntary return of more than 170,000 migrants across West and Central Africa, including over 6,000 to Ghana, giving the Accra cohort’s graduation added weight as a test case for how those returnees are absorbed back into the workforce.

Suleman Futa, representing DHL’s head of human resources, said the company remained committed to building a skilled, inclusive workforce and had shared industry standards and workplace experience with the group. He said technical training alone would not guarantee long-term career success and urged graduates to build professionalism, teamwork, communication and punctuality alongside their new technical skills. DHL will support the graduates through internships to help them apply what they learned on the job.

Regina Wireko Thompson, deputy director for technical and partnerships at YEA’s Labour Exchange Programme, said the 16 donated laptops would go to YEA centres in the Greater Accra, Bono, Bono East and Ashanti regions to support other learners completing online courses. She said IOM had backed returnees with psychosocial support and entrepreneurship training, while YEA helped learners finish coursework, and she urged employers to recognise returnees’ skills and resilience when hiring.

Graduate Joana Akakpo said the training broadened her understanding of the logistics sector, exposing her to quick commerce, aerospace logistics, communications and customs procedures.

Source: newsghana.com.gh