By Stanley Senya
Accra, April 28, GNA – Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry in collaboration with World University Service of Canada (WUSC), under the scholarship “Invest-In-Her” Scholarship has trained four hundred and forty-six women in technical and vocational skills.
The six months intensive training and the second of its cohort includes heavy-duty machine operation, electrical and solar installations, welding and fabrication, electric vehicle assembling and maintenance, computer hardware, networking and programming.
The scholarship programme was aimed at reducing gender specific barriers for women’s participation in economic development, equality and no -discrimination to enhance access to decent work for women inclusion in high-growth.
Mr Emmanuel Cherry, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry, said the training would help scale up the low levels of knowledge on women’s labour right among responsibility-holders, employers, and industry partners.
He said there was, therefore, the need to empower and equip women, especially the up-and-coming graduates, in the construction sector to catch up in the often male-dominated area.
Mr Cherry said this at the 2nd Greater Accra graduation ceremony of the “Invest-In-Her” Scholarship programme in Accra. It was on the theme: “Bridging The Gender Gap And Empowering Women For Sustainable Development In Male-Dominated Trades.”
He said the programme was a significant step towards addressing the skills gap in the construction sector and creating an inclusive society where women had equal opportunities to improve their economic lives.
He said the mindset of having only men designated to do construction works was a menace to societal development, urging stakeholders and industry players to seek these trained women and employed them for work.
The CEO said the training should help the country have its own expertise for developmental projects,”the construction industry would not rely solely on foreign companies and expertise,” he added.
Mrs Emilia Ayipio Asamoah, Country Director of WUSC Ghana, urged the graduates to perfect their skills and set themselves apart to be more unique and work proudly to clear the idea of only males could do construction and hard works.
She said good attitude and punctuality would lead them to job opportunities for greater success in future.
She appreciated their resilience and commitment to learn and be trained in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
She urged them to set the pace for the upcoming young girls to have the zeal to learn TVET, especially in construction.
She said skills development and its related employability had become integral parts of Ghana’s industrial development strategy, saying, TVET initiatives such as “Invest-In-Her” Scholarship would provide the catalyst for realisation of the future.
GNA