By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Aug. 13, GNA – Ms Constance Swaniker, Founder of Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has called on Mastercraft Persons and Artisians to be committed to quality, continue learning, and contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s socio-economic transformation.
She said, “As you leave here today, remember that every product you craft, every service you deliver, is a reflection of your personal brand and the Ghanaian brand.”
Ms Swaniker, who is also the President of DTI, made the call at the graduation ceremony of 1200 Mastercraft Persons, Artisans and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including 58 Physically challenged, who successfully completed their training in Precision Quality at Work under the DTI/Mastercard Foundation Project Phase Two initiative.
The event was on the theme: “Precision Quality at Work: Integrating the Informal Sector into the Larger Ghanaian Economy.”
The participants received certificate, while those who performed creditably received various awards, including industrial sewing machines, hair dryers and wheelchairs, among others.
She called on them to let precision be their habit, quality be their signature and integrity be their legacy.
Ms Swaniker said they were celebrating not just the successful completion of their Precision Quality training, but the emergence of a new cadre of highly skilled, quality-driven artisans who were poised to redefine the role of the informal sector in Ghana’s economy.
She said the informal sector in Ghana was vast, employing millions of its citizens and serving as the backbone of everyday economic activity from fashioning garments to providing people with beauty treatment, to fabricating machinery and delivering essential services.
She said yet, despite its size, the informal sector had long been characterised by challenges including inconsistent standards, low productivity, and limited integration into formal economic systems.
“This is precisely why the Precision Quality at Work initiative was conceived,” she added.
The Founder said it was a bold response to the urgent need for artisans to be competitive in a global marketplace, to deliver products and services that meet world-class standards, and to operate with the professionalism and integrity that the Ghanaian identity demands.
She said with the support of the Mastercard Foundation, the training had provided the graduates with more than just technical know-how.
“You have acquired the tools, mindset, and discipline to become ambassadors of quality in your respective trades,” she said.
She said DTI believed that the informal sector held the key to Ghana’s industrialisation agenda.
Ms Swaniker said by integrating their enterprises into the 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.”
The Mastercraft Persons and Artisians were taken through the business registration process and its benefits to their business, while Fidelity Bank also advised them to adhere to proper book keeping to enable them access funds to expand their businesses.
GNA
Christian Akorlie