By Justina Paaga/Veronica Baffour Kyei
Sekondi, May 18, GNA – A total of 363 vulnerable groups, unemployed women, youth and returnees and potential future migrants are benefitting from the Sekondi-Takoradi Skills Development Training, under the European Union funded Twin-cities in sustainable partnership Project (TCSPP).
It is being implemented in the cities of Sekondi-Takoradi and Palermo in Italy.
The Beneficiaries made up of 262 males and 101 females would be taught professional skills in crop production, Animal husbandry, Acquaculture, Bio-digester technology, eco-friendly oven production and plastic waste recycling.
The training, which would last for three months, would focus on two key areas of Urban Agriculture techniques and green climate-smart production Technologies.
Under Urban Agriculture, training would equip youth and small-holder vegetable farmers with the right skills to take advantage of the opportunities in the agriculture value-chain. From production to consumption, while the Green and climate smart production technologies training would focus on recycling low-value plastic waste into marketable products, bio-digestor technology and production of ecofriendly ovens to deal with environmental pollution.
Launching the programme to commemorate the 2023 Europe month celebration in Ghana on the theme, “Celebrating Youth and Skills”, the Metropolitan Chief Executive of STMA, Mr Abdul Munin Issah said it would recognize EU as a funding agency of the TCSPP and celebrate their contribution and initiative to support the Ghanaian youth to acquire the right for quality job.
He said the TCSPP skills development programme would train people to become employable and contribute to the socio-economic development of the Metropolis and Ghana as a whole.
Mr Issah said the project would provide post training assistance to well-deserving trainees who would be supported to set-up social enterprises, construct 500 bio-digestors toilets and 100 eco-friendly ovens for households in low-income coastal and fishing communities across the Metropolis.
The MCE said the ultimate objective was to promote resilience of vulnerable populations in Sekondi-Takoradi and the government and other formal sector employees alone could not employ the multitude of qualified people looking for employment in the country, adding “teaching and learning employable skills is the way forward for most unemployed to become self-employed and employable in the competitive job market”
He said skills training by itself did not create jobs but would become beneficial if it was associated with the actual needs of the labour market.
“The TCSPP training in Agriculture Techniques is therefore a way to respond to the increasing demand for healthy vegetables due to the flourishing hospitality industry across the country, while the green and climate-smart production technologies training was also to address the menace of plastics, open defecation and health hazards to fish processors and environmental pollution through fish smoking.
He told the beneficiaries that there were numerous opportunities awaiting them after their training and urged them to embrace and participate throughout the training.
The MCE announced that there was an opportunity for support after the training which included the provision of seedlings, small farming implements, equipment, tools and materials for set up.
Nana Kofi Abuna chief of Essipong who presided advised the beneficiaries to take the training seriously to improve their lot.
The three-year TCSPP project is to enhance the capacity of authorities to address the challenges of urban sprawl, climate change and inadequate social safety nets for vulnerable population within the two cities.
GNA