By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, Aug 29, GNA – The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has graduated a total of 1,500 artisans and master craft persons in the Ashanti region, who have successfully completed training in Precision Quality at Work, a drive to improve skills and enhance productivity.
The beneficiaries cut across the fashion, welding, automobile, hospitality, among other industries, and they had been trained to apply precision and quality in every task irrespective of how big or small.
They will also mentor apprentices and inspire them to adopt the same high standards, build customer trust through reliability, accountability and integrity.
Beneficiaries have been trained to embrace innovation and technology to enhance productivity and be highly competitive in the business space.
Ms Constance Swaniker, Founder and President of DTI, indicated that the training was under the DTI/Mastercard Foundation Project Phase Two Initiative, aimed at equipping master craft persons, small and medium enterprises and persons with disabilities with advanced skills for the informal sector.
She said the informal sector in Ghana was vast, employing millions from fashioning garments to beauty treatment, fabricating machinery and delivering essential services, yet characterized by challenges, including inconsistent standards, low productivity, and limited integration into formal economic systems.
According to her, the Precision Quality at Work initiative was a bold response to the urgent need for these artisans to be competitive in the global space – to deliver products and services that met the world-class standards, and to operate with professionalism and integrity that the Ghanaian identity demanded.
“We firmly believe that the informal sector holds the key to Ghana’s industrialization agenda.
By integrating your enterprises into a larger economy – through business registration, access to finance, compliance with standards and continuous upskilling – we are not just elevating individual businesses; we are building an economy that is competitive, inclusive and sustainable”, Ms Swaniker assured.
She advised the graduates to uphold quality, continue to learn and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s socio-economic transformation.
Mr Mohit Sharma, Project Coordinator of DTI, mentioned that an eye-opener through the training had been the huge participation of women, although the expectation was that about 70 percent of women signed up for the training but up to 90 percent of participants turned out to be females.
This, according to him, was impressive and indicated how females were forthcoming and understanding the need for quality, formalization and enhancing their businesses.
Precision quality, standardization and customer focus had become the benchmark for successful businesses considering the hyper-competitive world we are in, he said, adding that “now we do not just compete with products or services produced locally but also globally”.
Madam Grace Addo, a food processor and training beneficiary, said through the training she had discovered the importance of customer feedback, setting things in order at the workplace and having first aid tool kits to ensure safety.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Christian Akorlie