By Muyid Deen Suleman, GNA
Kumasi, Oct. 29 GNA – Lack of basic occupational skills and literacy among many Ghanaians is deeply worrying.
There is therefore the need for urgent action by the Complementary Education Agency (CEA) to intensify its programmes in occupational skills development and national functional literacy.
Mr Daniel Ashiamah, Executive Director of CEA, who stated this, said the Ghana Statistical Service’s report, which indicated that approximately eight million Ghanaians lack basic occupational and literacy skills, called for urgent attention to address it.
He was speaking at the opening of a five-day training workshop for 31 facilitators selected from 10 regions of Ghana, in Kumasi.
The training programme was on the theme “building hope through literacy and skills development”.
Mr Ashiamah said the CEA, which was formally known as the Non-Formal Education Division, received its legal backing in 2019 after the passage of the Complementary Education law, Act 1055, as an autonomous government institution operating under Ghana’s Ministry of Education.
It is legally mandated to oversee, coordinate, and administer high-quality alternative learning opportunities for individuals outside the formal school system, collaborating alongside the Ghana Education Service (GES).
He pointed out that, the CEA aims to bridge historical educational gaps and ensure that the vision of leaving no one behind in education was fully realized, adding that CEA, stood as the nation’s third major educational provider.
He expressed confidence that, upon completing the program, the trainees would become economically self-reliant and contribute meaningfully to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr Ashiamah added that, the Agency recognized education as more than just imparting knowledge, but also about nurturing the next generation of leaders and equipping them with the practical skills needed to address critical job shortages.
The Executive Director noted that, the program was part of the government’s ongoing efforts to transform individual lives and significantly curb unemployment.
Participants received hands-on training in producing washing powder, hair shampoo, black soap shower gel, and floor cleaner.
Other products included pain relief ointment, toilet cleaner, skin rash cream, anti-dandruff shampoo, organic hair food, and skin rash treatment cream.
Some of the participants expressed their profound gratitude to the Agency and pledged to share their acquired knowledge with others in their respective districts.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Kenneth Odeng Adade