By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Kyirapatre (Ash), Dec 18, GNA – Twenty-four facilitators have been equipped with advanced skills in imparting knowledge, attitudes, and practical abilities related to green waste management and the circular economy, under the CircuWasteVETAfrica Project.
Having received their certificates, these facilitators will guide the next cohort of 60 selected learners through the new curriculum, which encompasses fashion design, electrical engineering, plumbing, and building construction.
Students would learn to manage waste generated in their crafts, ensuring that products and processes are environmentally friendly.
The CircuWasteVETAfrica Project, a two-year programme, which began in early 2025, aims to address Africa’s growing waste management challenges by turning them into economic opportunities through specialized vocational education and training (VET) focused on green skills and circular economy principles.
Funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, the Project is being implemented in Ghana, Namibia, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe to develop a cutting-edge “top-up” curriculum that integrates sustainable waste management and circular economy practices into existing technical and vocational courses.
In Ghana, the Ramseyer Technical Institute is playing a key role in the innovative CircuWasteVETAfrica Project.
Speaking at the conclusion of the first phase of the Erasmus+ programme, Mr Anthony Sarkodie Amankwah, Project Team Lead, who is also Vice Principal, Academic and Skills Delivery at Ramseyer Technical Institute, described the CircuWasteVETAfrica project as “far more than a simple training programme.”
He said the programme would profoundly enhance learners’ future employment prospects and empower facilitators with valuable career development opportunities.
Mr Amankwah affirmed that the initiative was a sustainable development drive, which provided a pathway to convert environmental challenges into opportunities for growth and income generation for African professionals.
Mr Emmanuel Agyei Berko, Assistant Manager, Ghana TVET Service – Ashanti Regional Directorate, highlighted the scale of the waste problem in Ghana and across Africa.
He noted that TVET institutions have established environmental green clubs, promoting the idea that waste materials were useful resources that could be reused and recycled.
Mr Berko reiterated that the project would significantly improve learners’ employment prospects and provide career development for facilitators, emphasizing its transformative potential, while helping Ghana tackle its waste challenges and build a greener, more prosperous future.
Mr Collins Asenso Opoku, one of the trainers, said the project provided valuable insights into how waste is generated, collected, and recycled into useful products.
“This project has been a blessing to me; it has helped me a lot, and I’m happy to be part of it,” he added.
Mrs Yaa Anima Adugyamfi, a caterer participating in the initiative, echoed the usefulness of waste as “not necessarily waste but can be recycled or reused.”
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah