The second batch, made up of 46 artisans in the Manhyia South Constituency in the Ashanti Region, has graduated from a six-week intensive skills training programme under the Youth Employment Project.
It brings to 140 the total number of constituents who have benefitted from the project, which was initiated by Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituents this year with the aim of reducing unemployment through skills training.
About 92 constituents benefitted from the training programme and graduated last September.
Of the 46, 26 graduated in fashion design, 9 in makeup artistry, while 11 were empowered in hair dressing, with Abigail Appiah, Hawa Ibrahim and Lily Tandoh emerging the Overall Best in the various fields of hair dressing, makeup artistry and fashion design respectively.
The training programme, designed as the MPs social intervention, was facilitated by the College of Beauty, Arts and Entrepreneurship (CBAE), with the support of Makeup Ghana, Colorbox Cosmetics, MVP and Black Secret.
The participants were also taken through business management, book keeping and social media skills besides the formal training in Hair Technology, Fashion Design and Make-up Artistry.
Each of the beneficiaries received a set of start-up kits, including washing basins, hand dryers, standing dryers and hair strengtheners, cutting machines, industrial sewing machines, knitting machines and pressing irons.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as Napo, and the Minister of Energy, gave the assurance that the programme would be sustained to improve the lot of the constituents, particularly the youth.
According to him, 200 people would benefit from the project in 2023, during which eight other modules would be added to the existing three.
He mentioned some of these new modules as Interior Decoration, Shoemaking, Barbering, Photography and Videography, Leather Works and Soap Making.
He urged the graduants to pass on the skills and knowledge they had acquired during the three months from CBAE facilitators to relatives and friends to broaden the scope of the project to impact positively on society.
Ms Rebecca Donkor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the College of Beauty, Arts and Entrepreneurship (CBAE), said the training would equip the beneficiaries to stand well and enable them to excel in the three fields – fashion technology, make-up artistry and hair technology.
The CBAE CEO commended the Manhyia South MP for sponsoring the two training programme, and hoped that the 136 beneficiaries trained so far could serve as trainers, and provide similar training to others.
The CEO said skills acquisition was a better alternative to securing employment from the public sector.
Barima Osei Kwadwo II, Otumfuo’s Mamensenhene, who presided over the graduation ceremony last Friday, thanked the MP for the gesture, describing it as the best social intervention for human development and growth.
