By Gifty Amofa/Julius K. Satsi, GNA
Accra, May 18, GNA - Christian Aid on Friday presented some welding equipment to the Ghanaian Institute of Welding (GIW) in Accra at a cost of GH¢84,037 to facilitate the implementation of the Growing Economic Opportunities for Sustainable Development Project (GEOP).
The equipment were; seven welding machines, 50 welding helmets, 20 grinding machines, 50 grinding shields, 500 welding gloves, 500 respirators and 500 eye glasses for the purpose of training.
Ms Abena Afari, the Acting Programme Manager of Christian Aid, said, they were meant to be used in training master craftsmen, who would subsequently transfer knowledge to their apprentices and students.
She said it was necessary for the implementation of GEOP, funded by the European Union and Christian Aid as the country had about 80 per cent of the population employed in the informal sector with 25 per cent in apprenticeship.
Ms Afari said as a country with a youthful population, it was important to target and implement projects that would help in bringing skills to bear to grow the country’s economic development.
She said the project sought to grow economic opportunities in the Ayawaso East, Ablekuma South, and Ellembelle districts in the country to engage the unemployed to gain employable skills and the three-year project, which was in its second year would continue to target in-school and out-of school youth while recognising that the informal sector engaged most of the youth.
For the country to achieve its ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ mantra, there was the need to lay more emphasis on skills training among the youth and that was the need for a focus on the welding and fabrication industry, she added.
Madam Afari said due to the discovery and exploration of oil, there was the need to build more skills in welding and fabrication as it had the potential of lifting majority of Ghanaians out of poverty and expressed confidence that partners - GIW, GRATIS Foundation, National Board for Small Scale Industries and Accra Technical Training Centre, - the skills base of master craftsmen and apprentices would be enhanced.
Receiving the equipment on behalf of GIW, Ernest Odei Appau, who is the Executive Secretary, said the delivery of the equipment was timely as it would train the targeted 700 master craftsmen with the international standard practices and commended the European Union and Christian Aid for committing to international skills development through the provision of the equipment.
Mr Kofi Amponsah Asomaning, the Training Manager for GRATIS Foundation, which is training 90 master craftsmen as part of the project expressed satisfaction for the project and said the training did not only provide skills to the master craftsmen and the apprentices but helped in increasing their income levels.
Mr Alexander Kojo Osei, the Head of Welding Department at the ATTC, said the partnership was significant to the economy of the country as it sought to assist in unlocking the needed skills deeply seated in the youth.
GNA
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