By Christopher Tetteh, GNA
Sunyani, (Bono), Nov. 12, GNA – Artisanal workers in the Sunyani Municipality say they anticipate that the 2026 Budget Statement will invests much in employable skills training.
They also expect free Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) to push robust industrialisation for progressive development.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, is expected to present the nation’s budget statement and economic policy to parliament on Thursday, November 2025.
They said the teeming unemployed youth required decent jobs, hence the need for the government to invest much and support artisanal workers to expand their economic activities and create opportunities for more of the youth to learn employable skills training.
Speaking in a pre-budget presentation interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Sunyani, the artisanal workers noted that employable skills training, TVET development and robust industrialisation held the key to the nation’s progressive development.
Mr Stephen Baffoe, a carpenter, said with financial support, and a ready market for finished products, could expand and create opportunities for the youth to learn the craft.
He also called on the government to do more to stem the growing illegal mining activities, saying because of its lucrativeness, many of the youth were engaging in galamsey, unready to learn employable skills training.
Mr Isaiah Mensah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Isaiah Fashions, said some of the young people had the passion to learn and needed enrolment fees, and apprenticeship tools and equipment.
He called on the government to assist the fashion designers to expand and to identify interested young people ready to learn the trade for training and to fetch them decent jobs.
Mr Augustine Yaw Mensah, another fashion designer, said he expected the budget to subsidize utility tariffs for artisanal and other workers in the informal sector, worrying that high utility tariffs were having a huge toll on their businesses.
For Mr Kofi Sam, a carpenter, TVET education ought to be made free for more students to opt for technical education.
He noted that the carpentry work was unattractive now because of lack of ready markets for finished products and the high cost of wood and appealed for government support.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/ Christabel Addo