A Campaign to get young women more interested in Technical and Vocational Educational Training (TVET) was on Friday launched in Accra.
Dubbed ‘Invest in Her’, the campaign, which is a five-year programme with support from World University Science of Canada (WUSC) and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), would empower 5,000 urban marginalised young women.
It is also to change deep-rooted perceptions and norms about women’s involvement in the male-dominated trades.
The Project Director, Miss Appiah Boakye, said it would be a major drive to change the narrative by eliciting support from all stakeholders towards empowering women to take up jobs in male-dominated areas.
She added that the focus of her outfit was to create the enabling environment and promote access to new resources for young people, especially girls to put them on sound footing to meet the personal and economic challenges that lie ahead.
“We believe that investing in women in trade areas will help contribute to higher employment, better livelihoods, and increased contribution to the economy of Ghana,” she said.
Mr Fred Kyei Asamoah, the Executive Director of CTVET, expressed the government’s commitment to supporting young women and men in the country to gain technical skills.
According to him, a person with technical knowledge had varied opportunities and, therefore, the introduction of TVET was to change the narrative of theory-based system to a practical system where everyone would be included.
He added that the government would support women to enhance their skills and empower them with the necessary support.
Ms Emelia Ayipio Asamoah, the Country Director, WUSC, said the campaign would improve the skills and technical know-how of beneficiaries and prepare them for the job market.
“We want to change some of the socio-cultural perception that young women cannot do certain jobs. A woman can be engineer, welder, and mason among others,” she said.
Ms Asamoah pledged her outfit’s support to work with local partners to ensure the sustainability of the programme.
BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY & IGNATIUS AWUAH TANOE BLAY
