By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), Jan. 24, GNA – The Volta Region has received the first batch of equipment for beneficiaries of the National Apprenticeship Programme, marking a significant step in government efforts to expand skills training and youth employment across the Region.
The equipment was officially received on Friday, January 23, by the Volta Regional Minister, Mr James Gunu, in the company of the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, the Minister for Roads and Highways, and representatives of Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs).
The consignment includes sewing machines, hair dryers, and various tools and equipment for trades such as garment making, hairdressing, carpentry, steel works, tiling, and tile fabrication, among others.
The items are to be distributed to beneficiaries at the district level under the supervision of local authorities.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Gunu described the National Apprenticeship Programme as a flagship government initiative and urged Municipal and District Chief Executives to organise district-level handover ceremonies to help beneficiaries appreciate the importance of the programme and its role in fulfilling government commitments to job creation and skills development.
He cautioned that the equipment was not for sale and warned against any form of diversion or demands for money before distribution.
The Regional Minister said anyone found engaging in such practices would face sanctions, regardless of position.
He called on apprentices, master craft persons, and local authorities to protect and maintain the equipment to ensure it delivers lasting benefits to communities.
Mr Johnson Kwabla Samlafo, Volta Regional Coordinator of the National Apprenticeship Programme, described the delivery as a milestone for both master craft persons and apprentices in the Region.
He explained that the consignment represented only a portion of the total equipment expected, with additional batches arriving later due to space and transportation constraints.
Mr Samlafo said measures had been put in place to brand and track the equipment to prevent resale or export, noting that any attempt to sell or illegally transfer the machines constituted a criminal offence under the programme’s contractual terms and would attract legal action.
He said the current phase of the programme was a pilot involving 142 master craft persons, each supervising a minimum of five apprentices, bringing the total number of beneficiaries in the Region to nearly 1,000.
He said lessons from the pilot phase, which ends in February, would inform the rollout of Phase Two, aimed at significantly scaling up participation.
Nationally, Mr Samlafo said the programme would expand from about 10,000 beneficiaries in the initial phase to approximately 100,000 in the next phase.
He added that government would provide training stipends to master craft persons, ranging from GH¢3,000 to GH¢5,000 per apprentice, depending on the duration and type of skill training.
To ensure accountability and transparency, he said both master craft persons and apprentices were registered on business and digital payment platforms, enabling all payments to be made directly into verified accounts.
The National Apprenticeship Programme is designed to equip young people with practical, market-relevant skills, promote entrepreneurship, and create sustainable employment opportunities, contributing to local economic development across the Volta Region and the country.
GNA
Edited By: Maxwell Awumah/Audrey Dekalu