GNPC Foundation sets up 210 youth in entrepreneurial ventures
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Foundation has set up 210 Ghanaian youth in entrepreneurial ventures after providing them with the relevant training under the Skilled Artisans Project.
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The beneficiaries underwent training in steel bending, interior and exterior decoration, bead making, make-up, motor vehicle electricals, dressmaking, hairdressing, tailoring, carpentry among others.
They were drawn from various communities in the Eastern, Western North and Greater Accra regions. The project, which was initiated by the government in 2019, seeks to support and build the capacities of the youth to make them employable and economically independent.
It is being implemented in partnership with ASEDA Foundation, a community-based organisation. The beneficiaries also sat for the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) examination, facilitated and funded by the GNPC.
At a ceremony to present them with their certificates last Friday, the beneficiaries also received startup tools relevant to their speciality to prepare them for their respective entrepreneurial journeys.
The Executive Director of the GNPC Foundation, Dr Dominic Eduah, expressed satisfaction with the successful graduation, highlighting the foundation's commitment not only to formal education but also to adding value to artisanal studies.
He emphasised the foundation’s commitment to its drive to positively impact the livelihoods of the people from the country’s oil resources. Dr Eduah stressed that while the GNPC’s primary function revolved around petroleum exploration and production, its broader mandate encompassed fostering sustainable socio-economic development for all Ghanaians.
He expressed delight about the support received from stakeholders, including traditional authorities, the NVTI and the various district assemblies and urged the beneficiaries to take good care of their tools and to utilise them effectively to empower themselves.
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Gender equality
The Director-General of the Ghana Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service, Mawusi Nudekor Awity, commended the females among the trainees who ventured into male-dominated trades.
The graduation ceremony in Accra last Friday
She said for many years, women had not been associated with jobs in male-dominated industries and for that matter, their contributions to national development had not been fully harnessed.
While entrepreneurship had been identified as crucial to solving unemployment problems, she said gender stereotypes were forcing women to limit themselves to trades that were deemed fit only for them.
“This is why I am excited to see that some of you ladies have decided to learn masonry, painting, motor vehicle electricals and others. I urge you to make good use of the skills you have acquired and keep adding more venue to it to enable you to perform even better than the males within that field,” she said.
The President of the National House of Chiefs (NHCs), Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, also urged the graduates to make proper use of the tools, while encouraging them to be worthy ambassadors of the GNPC.