The Vice President, Dr Mahammudu Bawumia has reiterated the government’s commitment to prioritise Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) in the country to provide employable skills development to the youth.
Dr Bawumiah said the government had set up the TVET service to coordinate and manage the sector, train more technical and vocational teachers and improve infrastructure to meet the practical training of students.
He emphasised that every developed nation around the world focused on the development of its technical and vocational skills training, saying that “our priority in TVET will improve the creativity and innovative skills of residents of the country.”
Dr Bawumia said thisat the launch of the Ahafo Skills Development and Employment Creation Programme for 1,200 young persons in the region at Goaso, the Ahafo Regional capital on Wednesday.
The programme would start with an initial number of 1,200 beneficiaries across the region consisting of 200 youth in each of the six Municipal and Districts in Ahafo.
Models of the initiative included auto mechanic, welding and fabrication, fashion and designing, decoration, mason and joinery, electrical, youth in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) among others.
The Ahafo Regional Co-ordinating Council (ARRCC), as part of the programme, has paid for the apprentice fee of all the 1,200 beneficiaries in addition to the training equipment and start-up kits to commence their job training.
The initiative received funding of GH¢1,000,000 from Newmont Ghana Gold Company Limited to procure the training equipment and start-up kits for the programme.
Other corporate organisations namely: Supremo Wood Processing Company limited, Golden Team Mining Company, German International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Various Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) in Ahafo, also contributed to the success of the programme.
Dr Bawumiah commended the Ahafo Regional Minister, George Yaw Boakye, for initiating the programme to provide employment to the youth in the area.
He also thanked NGGL and other partners for supporting the initiative.
Mr Yaw Boakye noted that the initiative would drastically reduce youth unemployment and underemployment in the area, rural – urban drift and others who traveled abroad to seek for greener pastures.
The Ahafo Regional Minister stated that the youth skills development and employment creation Programme would also end the dangerous activities of illegal miners and loggers,who operated in the concessions of mining and timber companies in the region.
“Our development partners and the various MDAs will continue to monitor and supervise the activities of the apprentices and their masters in the interest of the programme,” he stressed.
Mr Yaw Boakye emphasised that, the initiative would be sustained in order to provide decent, safe and rewarding livelihoods to the young persons in Ahafo Region, saying that “we hope to increase the number of beneficiaries in next year.”
The Paramount Chief of Goaso Traditional Council (GTC), Nana Kwasi Bosomprah, who chaired the event, charged the beneficiaries to use the equipment and start-up kits judiciously to ensure value for money.
FROM EMMANUEL ADU GYAMFI, GOASO
