Sogakope (V/R), Dec 8, GNA - Government will soon embark on training programmes for over 1,000 master crafts persons in garment making, electronics, automotive, welding and cosmetology from 40 districts. The programmes would entice the up and coming generation into business and industry through creativity and optimism which would culminate into self employment, industrial development and socio-economic growth of the country. Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, Minster of Education said this on Tuesday when he launched the National Apprenticeship Programme, organised by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) in Sogakope. He said the program would support master crafts persons to deliver quality service and training to reflect skills and competence. The ceremony, which was on the theme: "Apprenticeship as a means to self employment" would also support the training of Junior High School (JHS) students who for one reason or the other could not get access into the Senior High School (SHS).

He noted that 60 cent of graduates of JHS were unable to enter into SHS, adding that out of the figure, only 5 per cent continued in formal technical and vocational education and training while the majority went into the informal sector.

"The Apprenticeship Training Program for the first batch of 500 JHS graduates in auto mechanics, electronics, cosmetology, garment making, welding and fabrication would start through out the country from January 2011", he said. Mr Tetteh-Enyo stated that a National Apprenticeship Committee had been inaugurated to prepare a national policy to guide and streamline traditional apprenticeship.

He said the policy would enhance national development by creating a flexible human resource supply system that was responsible for changing labour market conditions. It would also produce a highly skilled workforce that would make the Ghanaian industries, products and services more competitive in local and global markets.

Mr Tetteh-Enyo said the youth who entered into apprenticeship would have access to quality vocational training that would enable them meet the challenges of economic and technological changes under the policy. He said the government had developed a National Qualification Framework for Ghana to ensure coherence of all national qualifications with the skills development and apprenticeship system.

He assured the apprentices that government would leave no stone unturned to ensure that infrastructure, tools and equipment were provided. Mr Tetteh-Enyo urged the masters and apprentices to patronize all the training workshops that would be organized subsequently to upgrade their skills, and to ensure the proper maintenance of the tools and equipments provided by government for the training in order to limit waste and prolong their life span. 8 Dec. 10