By Solomon Gumah
Dalun (N/R), June 04, GNA – A total of 60 youth in the northern part of the country have undergone training in plumbing works, and organic vegetable production to equip and empower them with self-employable skills to improve their livelihoods.
The six month-long training involved six weeks of intensive training, four weeks of apprenticeship where the trainees were attached to master craftsmen, one week of entrepreneurship training and a period of other support training packages.
It formed part of the Project to strengthen social cohesion in strategic cross-border areas (PARCS), which was funded by the French Development Agency, and implemented by Acting for Life, a French organisation, and its partners in Ghana, Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), and Changing Lives in Innovative Partnerships.
PARCS is a three-year project, which began in December 2022, with the objective to strengthen social cohesion in strategic cross-border territories and to support an inclusive socio-economic development of the territories.
Dr Osman Al-Hassan, Board Chairman of GDCA, speaking during the graduation of the trainees at Dalun in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region, underscored the importance of technical and vocational education, saying it promoted industrialisation and development of countries.
The trainees, who constituted the second cohort of the beneficiaries under the project, received certificates of completion from Ghana TVET Service as well as starter kits to help them in their work.
The first cohort of 60 beneficiaries underwent training in domestic electrical installation, and beekeeping, and graduated in November, last year.
A total of 240 youth would be trained in organic poultry production, agro-processing, organic vegetable production, tiling, plaster paneling, and plumbing as part of the project.
Dr Al-Hassan said acquiring technical and vocational skills would empower young people to become relevant to industry as well as create their own jobs, which was important in promoting social cohesion in the strategic cross-border areas of northern Ghana.
He said, “We are optimistic that the skills acquired will help safeguard the youth from being influenced by various terrorists’ groups or to risk their lives in making dangerous trips to reach Europe.”
“In our efforts to reach more young people, especially at Dalun and its surrounding communities, we have modeled some interventions such as fish farming under the European Union Volunteer Programme, where the youth will be trained in the coming months,” he announced
Mr Issah Musah, Northern Regional Director, Ghana TVET Service, lauded the project and said it was important in addressing youth unemployment in the country.
Mr Robert Yaja Dawuni, Gushegu Municipal Chief Executive, commended GDCA and partners for complementing government’s efforts at reducing unemployment as well as efforts to prevent violent extremists’ activities in the country.
He promised to support the beneficiaries of the project, who were from the Gushegu Municipality, to scale up their enterprises.
Dalun-Lana Tapha Mahamadu (II), Chief of Dalun, advised the beneficiaries to put the skills they acquired to work, and also work progressively to improve their livelihoods.
Miss Charity Nyaaba, a beneficiary, who received training under the organic vegetables production, expressed gratitude to GDCA and partners for the support and gave assurance that she would put the newly acquired skills to work and train other young people in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region, where she resides.
GNA