By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, Aug. 31, GNA – The Design and Technology Institute (DTI), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has graduated and certified 2,647 Master Craft Persons and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners in the Ashanti Region under its Precision Quality™ (PQ) Programme.
The programme seeks to strengthen productivity, financial inclusion and pathways to decent work within Ghana’s informal economy.
The graduating cohort comprised 2,160 women, representing 82 per cent, and 487 men, representing 18 per cent.
The Kumasi graduation ceremony marked the conclusion of the 2026 regional graduation series, following the graduation of 1,593 beneficiaries in Accra and 528 in Ho, bringing the total number of graduates across the three cities to 4,768.
As part of the graduation, 394 outstanding Master Craft Persons and SMEs, including Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), received Business Scale-up and Apprenticeship Support Kits to strengthen their enterprises and expand their capacity to create apprenticeship and livelihood opportunities.
Out of the 394 beneficiaries, 64 were PWDs.
Additionally, 41 PWDs received assistive devices to enhance their participation and productivity within their respective trades and enterprises.
DTI’s approach extends beyond skills training.
The Precision Quality Programme integrates skills and quality certification with business formalisation, financial inclusion, enterprise growth, apprenticeship development and access to market opportunities.
Participants acquire competencies in entrepreneurship, business management, workplace safety, customer relations, digital literacy, and financial management.
By strengthening the businesses in which apprentices learn and work, the programme helps improve quality standards and business practices for the next generation of skilled workers.
A key feature of the Kumasi graduation ceremony was the provision of business registration and financial services directly to graduates, making formalisation and financial inclusion more accessible and practical.
Ms Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, Founder and President of DTI, drawing on her experience of growing from a carpentry workshop owner to an entrepreneur, emphasised that technical skills must be supported by formalisation, compliance, customer focus, proper business structures and financial discipline.
She said registering and structuring her business, maintaining proper records, meeting regulatory and tax obligations, managing finances responsibly and prioritising customer satisfaction had enabled her to build credibility and access larger opportunities.
Ms Swaniker encouraged graduates to view formalisation not as a burden but as an important step towards building trusted, disciplined and sustainable enterprises capable of creating jobs and contributing meaningfully to the economy.
Ms Bridget Kusi Boahene, a Senior Company Inspector at the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC), highlighted the benefits of business registration and the support available to enterprises through the Registrar.
She said a dedicated registration support desk had been established at the graduation ceremony and encouraged graduates to continue the registration process through the ORC’s offices across the Ashanti region.
Nana Boakye Yam Ababio, Nkwantakesehene, commended DTI and the Mastercard Foundation for their efforts in strengthening the informal sector.
He highlighted the broader impact of supporting artisans and small enterprises on families, communities, and both the local and national economy.
Some graduates shared experiences of how improved quality standards and better business practices acquired through the programme were helping to strengthen and expand their enterprises.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Florence Afriyie Mensah
Email: [email protected]