1. Background of the Report
The CEA Internship is a great educational program that is very valuable for the students, even
with previous experience, to gain in their professional skills without going through a long path of
financial learning. This internship provides students with exposure to all the relevant aspects of
the work environment and also facilitates them to gain skills and experience in terms of business
operations, operations and management. The report is prepared by the student within the first two
weeks of the internship. The final report is submitted to the President of the university within the
seventh month from the beginning of the internship.
The intern did an eight (8)-week internship (19th June to 18th August 2017) at Solutions
Technologies in Sydney. In his capacity at Solutions Technologies, the intern supervised the
business development of software solutions, as well as technical design for software products
that had been deployed in commercial installations of the application infrastructure. This
included the development of applications that deployed the company's systems. The intern's
duties on the company's main development site involved managing projects and software
applications, providing technical support and coordinating with other team members.
Currently there are five (5) departments at the company (Accounting Department,
Administration Department, Marketing Department, Sales Department and Technical
Department). Within each department there are also divisions with technical branches such as
Systems, Product Design and Marketing.
The intern was assigned to the Financial Support Group and was asked to do various tasks like
preparing of monthly financial report and making enquiries for the respective customer to
understand and take action. The intern was also asked to make enquiries about the company to
understand the customer's problems or any problems in the company including technical
problems as per his experience. He was also assigned to assist the Accounting Department. The
intern was responsible for managing the transactions and reconciliations. The other duties of the
intern were to submit the audit reports to the Accounts Administration and Finance Departments,
which is referred to as the CFA.
1.2 Terms of Reference
The above-described internship is offered to students at the University of Professional Studies
and is limited to a period of two months, commencing with level 300 and ending with level 450.
Students are not entitled to participate in any type of academic activity during the internship as
no academic or vocational training is required. Students participating in the internship are
expected to live in Accra (UPSA) during this period.
The internship, on which the final project report is based, is conducted at BCPC in Halifax in
collaboration with or approved by the program. This form of project research and internships is
an essential component of the career pathways and educational opportunities, including academic
and career planning, research and development, mentorship, advising and training programs that
employ a range of graduate workers. In a rapidly changing career landscape and a changing
workforce, BCPC provides full service, graduate-level careers and academic programs that are
highly relevant to any employer looking to expand and diversify the graduate worker workforce
The internship report entails areas including profile of the organization or institution, contribution
of student to organization, application of theories to real life situation, challenges faced and lessons
learnt from the organization as well as recommendations from students.
1.3.0 Profile of the Organization
1.3.1 Background
Solutions Technologies Limited (Solutec) is a licensed business operating as a "Certified
Professional Services company" with registration number AC10681098.
Founded in April 2010, Solutions Technologies Limited offer customers, with expertise of network
security, intrusion prevention, and telecommunication networking to support all types of business
requirements such as commercial, commercial/government, government/military and enterprise
applications nationwide with other complimentary set of ICT Solutions. There are five (5)
departments at the company which is made up of Finance Department, Administration Department,
Marketing Department, Sales Department and Technical Department. The Finance department is
mainly responsible with accounting and finance functions and a few other functions. On the
technical side, there are three devision. One is in product development and two are on software
development. There are also two Senior level technical department which makes engineering and
research.
1.3.2 Mission
The mission statement of Solutions Technologies Sydney is to meet the challenges of delivering
the best possible ICT Solution to achieve its client's requirements. Solutions Technologies
Sydney's products focus on high performance solutions that deliver business value for their
customer base. Their products are optimised to meet the high demanding needs of businesses while
still following the best practices.
1.3.3 Objectives
 To be a leader in connectivity
 Valuing customers and constantly building key relationships.
1.3.4 Product Goods and Services
Solutions Technologies Limited offer the following services;
• Remote management of business and home systems
• Cloud computing applications for home, business, IT, IT services and financial services
• Personal, commercial or residential virtualisation software solutions tailored for businesses

Advanced software solutions
 Consultancy
& Tech Support

Sales

Renewable Energy Solutions
 Security
Solutions

Telecommunication

Solutec Academy

Web Solutions
2.0 FIELD OF EXPERIENCE
During the internship period, the intern was assigned to the Finance Departments at the Head
Office of Solutions Technologies. The Finance Department is responsible for managing the
department's budget, reporting to the senior administrator, the Principal Advisor to Finance, all
progress made in implementing the plan, as well as any deficiencies with the plan. Once approved,
the proposal must be sent to the Head Office of Development for action. The finance department
is responsible for their own finance research and provided business consulting services in the
financial services sector such as financial reporting and the establishment and management of
investment plans.
During the Internship period, the interns provided support, advice and coordination to the Chief
Accountant. During the Internship period, the interns demonstrated competency and interest to
help manage complex finance projects.
2.1 Duties and schedules
The intern was assigned to the following duties and responsibilities
 Planning and Providing Internal Controls on Cash Handling and Warehousing
 Planning the Budget for a new branch in Kumasi
 Planning and Performing of Internal Audit
 Handling and Executing Internal Audit Plans
 Assisting in Internal Audit Operations and Review and Review for Failure of Internal
Audit
 In preparation for filing of the Cash Request forms, the intern had to read through a few
pages of the Bank Statement Instructions (BCI).
 During the two weeks of intern training, the intern also completed three hours of the
Department of Treasury's Emergency Operations Manual (EEOMM).
 Analyzing the Internal Finance and Accounting Practices
 Handling of Financial Statements
 Handling of Prepared Statements and Scheduled Statements and Schedules
 Filing of Cash Request Forms
 Handling of Financial Statement Receipts and Scheduled Statements
2.2 Contributions of Student to the Organization
The intern designed a checklist to track and monitor internal controls in the company and the areas
that needs management’s attention. This task will assist management in tackling the hidden risk
the company has possibility of facing in the near future.
Planning and budgeting for a new branch of the company. The budget the intern drew was
applauded by the accountant. It gave a detailed analysis of the cost involved and revenue
projections. This project will resume latest by March 2020.
The intern also wrote a proposal to the accountant which involved a strategic sales generation
procedure. The proposal aimed to forge a strategic sales generation presentation to leverage the
customer base for the company’s distinct services.
Conducting of Internal Auditing and providing report. The intern solely conducted an internal audit
to establish the areas of risk regarding Revenue and Expenses of the company. He established
controls to address these risks and made recommendations where weakness or inefficiencies are
observed.
The interns understanding of responsibilities to a specific job, as well as willingness to get things
done, performing different activities with limited time and take responsibility for his actions were
exceptional.
2.3 Application of Theories to Real Life Situation
The internship provided the opportunity for the intern to understand practically how theories were
applied in the business world. The following are the application of theories to real life situations
at Solutions Technologies:
Communication Theory
Communication is the exchanging of information by speaking, writing or using some other
medium. It gives an explanation of the basic process individuals go through in order to gain
information and knowledge about other people. The intern had learnt communication skills with
course code BGEC 101 and Business Communication with course code BGEC 103, this gave the
intern exceptional interpersonal communication skills that made him understand how to approach,
talk and respond to different people of different backgrounds at the work place. The intern found
out that being able to apply communication theories to real life scenarios made him a better
communicator.
Cognitive Resource Theory
Cognitive Resource Theory is a topic under BCPC 207 which is Principles of leadership. This
course was taken in level 200 semester 1 by the intern. The theory explains how intelligence and
experience relate to stress. Intelligence is the main factor in low-stress situations, whilst experience
counts for more during high-stress moments. The intern inculcated this theory in the performance
of most duties.
Esprit de Corps
Esprit de corps is the feeling of camaraderie (solidarity) that exist among members of a group or
an organization. The intern had been at the company for the first few weeks but he was already
bound to the staff by a strong esprit de corps. There was unity among the staffs and this stretched
to the intern. The intern also realized that the staff of the company worked together as a team to
achieve the goals of the company, the output of one department served as the input for another
department. A practical example is, the marketing department gets a contract for the company,
administration department have the meeting with the client and agree on the terms and conditions
of the contract and finally the technical department execute the project. Before and after the
completion of the project, the accounts department computes all charges receivables.
Theory of Motivation
Apart from the payment of basic salaries to staff, there were also provisions designed to improve
conditions of workers at Solutions Technologies Limited. One good example is the surprise
celebration of staffs’ birthdays by the Finance Director. This was done to make subordinates feel
like they are in a family and encourage them to achieve a certain goal or level of performance.
3.0 LESSONS LEARNT
During the internship the intern learn the following lessons:
 The intern now has good understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP)
 Strong PC Skills utilizing Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and Tally Software.
 Ability to work with different people (team work) in achieving departmental as well as
organizational goal.
 Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
 Strong organizational and time management skills.
 Planning and Preparing of Audit.
 Insight on Governance, Risk Assessment and Compliance
 Learn the culture of the IT industry.
4.0 CHALLENGES
The major challenge the intern faced was a new Lifestyle. The internship gave a new lifestyle to
the intern. It made the intern woke up very early in the morning with the alarm clock at 5:30 am,
latest by 6 am to get ready for work. The intern sat for nine (9) to ten (10) good hours in a day
typing and preparing either reports or doing an online research about a particular task. Sometimes
the intern could close as late as 8:30 pm. The new life was quite jarring but productive. The hours
and the new living situation clearly made socializing more difficult than before. This challenge
later became normal and part of the intern’s daily life activities as the days moved on.
The intern also encountered financial difficulties including food and transportation. Financial
problems and challenges happen to everyone at some point, and the stress and worry can get to
anyone. However, realizing that there is an important task ahead to complete kept the intern going.
It is not easy to overcome it but with perseverance, determination and dedication, the task ahead
was achieved.
Conducting audit with no audit experience and assistance. To add, the intern was assigned to
conduct an internal audit of a branch of the company individually. This was a major task for the
intern as he had no prior audit experience. For the beginning, the intern found himself wanting but
as time went on, the intern gained practical experience on the job. The audit became less difficult
because the intern had completed a University course in Auditing just before vacation. The intern
therefore applied the theoretical aspect of the auditing learnt at school on the field.
All these challenges has helped the intern to gain valuable work experience and real life exposure.
It also allowed the student to harness the skill, knowledge and theoretical practice been taught in
the university.
5.0 CONCLUSION
The intern learns on a deeper basis regarding corporate problems related to business,
management, finance, and the legal sector. The internship program provides the intern with an
opportunity to gain further experience with these topics. With all of the training and preparation
provided by the placement program, the intern may achieve outstanding results and is able to
meet with employers at a later stage. In the past, when students received the full-time work
placement, the program often resulted in the intern being paid too much by most employers.
With our new placement program, our interns can earn the full-time work and continue to
contribute with the internship projects that they are currently completing. This program was in
itself a very significant help as the intern knows how to operate in the business world as well.
The intern has been enlightened on the application of theories in real life situations. Solutions
Technologies Limited has offered the intern opportunities to learn and develop himself in many
areas. This internship has prepared the student to be ready to serve the needs of industry and
commerce more effectively upon graduation. This included providing real life experience and
exposure, thus gaining first-hand exposure of working in the real world, granting the opportunity
to learn more about the intern self-potentials and abilities, getting connected and developing
professional network. I gained a lot of experience, especially in the conducting of internal audit.
Before the placement took place, my ideas did not match the experiences I have gained during
my internship. This internship was definitely an introduction to the actual work field for me. I
have learned to work in a business organization and apply my knowledge into practice. Deepest
gratitude I give to the management of Solutions Technologies Limited, most especially the
Finance Director, Mr. Emmanuel Dupon Anson, the accountant, Mr. Enoch Wiafe and all the
staff of the company for the great opportunity given to me for their careful and exquisite
guidance which were extremely valuable for my study both theoretically and practically. I
perceive this opportunity as a big breakthrough in my career development.
6.0RECOMMENDATIONS
To Management and Staff of Solutions Technologies Limited;
Solutions Technologies Limited should try and develop some control measures in relating to both
the Madina and Adabraka inventory room. Especially with Madina, a check sheet should be
provided and be with the secretary. Anytime someone wants to go there for any purpose, the person
has to sign and write the purpose and time he came for the inventory room keys. This will help to
hold persons that went there responsible for any missing stock.
Also, the malfunctioning POS machine at the Adabraka branch should be a major concern to
management. The machine should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
Finally, Solutions Technologies should develop a customer support committee. The committee
will see to it that customers are frequently called and visited to observe services that were provided
to them by the company. The company should not wait for customers to call and complain about
faulty issues before they set off. This when done, will boost customer confidentiality in the
company and build a strong and lasting relationship.
To Relation
The industrial relation office and the different departments should connect with cooperate bodies
for internship placement to shun the struggles and strains students go through before securing
places for their attachment.
7.0 REFERENCES
University of Professional Studies Students’ Handbook.
Guideline for Internship Report University