The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), yesterday signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CAMFED–Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, to train young women in technical and vocational skills.
The three–year programme is expected to train at least 3,000 beneficiaries in electronics, welding and fabrication, block moulding, flori-culture and composting.
It is also to build the capacity of the facilitators to train and develop women in technical and vocational education.
The programme would serve as an interface between the Modern Technology Transfer and Marketing Centre (TTMC) of GAEC and CAMFED, towards empowering young women to be self-reliant, and beneficiaries would receive start-up kits or seed fund to commence their business.
The Deputy Director–General of GAEC, Professor Shiloh D. Osae, commended CAMFED for the initiative, which according to him would provide Ghanaian young women with technical and vocational skills, to enable then become self-reliant in the country’s quest for socio-economic development.
He indicated that the programme would adequately provide beneficiaries with the necessary skills needed for take-off of the country’s nuclear agenda.
“GABC will serve as a one-stop shop for the various areas of nuclear science and technology as the facilities at its disposal could serve as the breeding ground for future scientist”, Prof. Osae stated.
He said that the commission had all the facilities needed to transform the economy of the country, and urged young women to take advantage of the programme to serve as role models.
The National Director of CAMFED-Ghana, Mrs Sally Ofori-Yeboah, said the programme was expected to train at least 3,000,000 young girls over a 10-year period, under the Master Card Foundation.
She said the first batch of 1,000 girls would be trained in three years, to address youth unemployment.
Mrs Ofori-Yeboah stated that participants would be fully equipped to meet the demands of the job market, and urged young women to avail themselves of the opportunity to acquire employable skills.
She stressed the need for collaboration between GAEC and CAMFED to create more avenues for competence-based training projects, to meet the needs of the country’s industrialisation.
BY LAWRENCE VOMAFA- AKPALU
