Bunso Cocoa College is the premier training college of Ghana Cocoa Board. It was established in 1950 at Bunso as the Agricultural Training School under the department of Agriculture's Cocoa Division, to train field assistants for the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease Control Programme.
In 1977, the school was upgraded to the status of a college and began a 3-year certificate course in General Agriculture with specialization in Cocoa and Coffee production for trainee Senior Technical Assistants. This course was run concurrently with Field Assistants and other senior staff.
The course was phased out in 1984 during the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme. The college now concentrates on short-term training programmes for staff of the Divisions and Subsidiaries of COCOBOD. It also organizes refresher courses for technical (field) staff of Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) and the Seed Production Division (SPD) as well as other courses for COCOBOD Head Office and its subsidiaries
Mission
To train and organize refresher courses for technical (field) staff of CHED and Seed Production Unit as well as other courses for COCOBOD Head Office and its subsidiaries.
Objectives and Activities
- Develop and implement appropriate training programmes in the technical disciplines for the staff of CHED, SPD and other COCOBOD subsidiaries with the ultimate objective of improving their performance
- Monitor and evaluate the performance of past trainees and course participants in order to ascertain the impact of training on their job performance and as a means of improving the course design, content and training methodologies
- Organize direct farmer training programmes in cocoa production technologies in cocoa growing areas
- Offer training programmes for Licensed Buying Companies for cocoa production, extension methods and agrochemical handling
- Organize and host training courses and workshops for Non-COCOBOD organizations including World Vision International, ADRA, USAID, MOFA and various churches as income generation venture
- Assist Agricultural Colleges and Universities, in practical training of students, in cocoa and coffee production
Service Strategy
"To Provide Clients with Best Boarding and Training Facilities in a Serene Environment at Competitive Rates"
Accomodation
The College has 100 rooms consisting of executive guest houses, standard rooms, chalets as well as dormitories. Some of these rooms are air-conditioned and equipped with multi-channel satellite viewing facilities. These facilities can accommodate over 350 course participants
Conference Hall
The college has facilities such as lecture halls, conference rooms and assembly hall for training, seminars, workshops and retreats. These are well ventilated and furnished with modern chairs fitted with collapsible writing boards making notes taking and writing easy
Modern teaching equipment such as laptops, projectors, projector screens and flipchart stands are also available for use. There is a well-stocked reference library for course participants
Other Facilities
The College is also equipped with a modern gymnasium for course participants. There is a recreational Centre on the main compound for general relaxation
Location
The college is located in the serene neighborhood od Bunso, approximately 20 minute drive from the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, New Tafo and about 75 km from Accra
The geographical setting of the college, its facilities and resources make it an ideal place for training, workshops, conferences and retreats
The cool environment of the college with its quiet surroundings and natural vegetation make it conducive for studies and meetings