Thirty-six trainees from the Ngleshie-Amanfro
Integrated Community Centres for Employment Skills (ICCES) are undergoing an
entrepreneurship programme to equip them with employable skills.
The programme, organised under the Uniterra programme
by the World University Services of Canada (WUSC) in collaboration with ICCES,
would span seven weeks.
Mr David Mensah, Acting Director of ICCES said the
programme was to equip the trainees with employable skills to aid them in
setting up their own enterprises.
He said it was also to equip the trainees with skills
to market the knowledge being given to them under the ICCES programme.
“The programme was designed for trainees who had
completed their basic education and were pursuing a career in Technical and
Vocational Education and Training (TVET),” Mr Mensah added.
Mr Kingsley Larbie, Centre Manager of the
Ngleshie-Amanfro ICCES Training Centre, on his part urged the trainees to learn
as much as they could from the programme.
He added that the trainees would be undergoing an
attachment with Benchmark Engineering Limited, a construction company, where
they would receive practical and theoretical training to help them in their
future endeavours.
“I wish to express my gratitude to Alhaji Salifu
Demsu, Board Chairman of Ngleshie-Amanfro ICCES Training Centre and Chief
Executive Officer of Benchmark Engineering Limited who volunteered to take the
trainees under his company and provide them with the much needed experience,”
Mr Larbie added.
He said that by the end of the programme the trainees
would be able to write proposals for contracts, market their skills, register
their businesses and be able to develop business plans and manage their
finances.
Ms Magalie Laliberte, Entrepreneurship Planning
Officer representing the Planning Officer of the Uniterra programme of WUSC,
said the Uniterra programme was designed to partner with local partners like
ICCES to design assignments to support the inclusion of women and youth in key
economic sectors like the residential construction sector in Ghana.
“With high unemployment rates, we hope to give these
trainees the opportunity to create their own jobs and businesses through the entrepreneurship
programme in the construction sector,” she noted.
Ms Laliberte added that aside attachments with the
construction company, trainees would, every Thursday, meet with the Artisan
Association of Ghana (AAG) to discuss how to set up businesses and making a
construction contract.
“And the Association of Women in Technology and
Engineering Education (AWITEED) will mentor the young female trainees to
encourage women to venture into TVET,” she added.
BY FREDERICK GADESE-MENSAH
Credit: Source link
