The government is urging artisans in the country to take advantage of planned initiatives aimed at getting them to upgrade and improve their technical and vocational expertise.
The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Gifty Twum Ampofo made this call in Kumasi during the launching of an initiative by the Kumasi Technical University and cement manufacturing company, CIMAF to train 1,200 artisans drawn from across the country annually.
She believes enhancing the skills set of artisans is one of the best ways of making them employable.
Stakeholders say artisans, who are particularly from the informal sector and have little or no formal education risk being out of jobs if they don’t acquire the needed skills to make them become abreast with modern technologies.
Gifty Twum Ampofo said the situation where many artisans do not see the need to improve their technical expertise is a huge challenge that must be addressed.
“With these artisans, maybe during their time, they didn’t get enough training or the training that they had at that time was okay, but technology is moving fast so, it is important that they get upgraded to know the kind of materials they use and how they use them for their own benefit and for everybody”.
She believes the government’s measures aimed at revamping TVET will significantly transform the country as many employment opportunities would be opened.
“Government of Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo believes that it is only through TVET that we can reduce youth unemployment and poverty drastically. It is with TVET that Ghana Beyond Aid could be a reality”.
The Director of the Institute of Research, Innovation, and Development (IRID) at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Smart Asomaning Sarpong on his part believes taking artisans through the needed training will help bridge the gap and also reduce the construction failures being recorded in the country.
“This relationship with CIMAF covers four focus areas. One is where we will train 1,200 cement user artisans every year for four years- 1,200 master craftsmen in cement use would be trained. We know they have some level of training, but we believe that with the changes in time, with the modern ways of doing things, with the rate of construction failure, we need to bring them back to the University to be retrained”.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi who was at the event, commended the cement manufacturing company, CIMAF for partnering with the Kumasi Technical University in training the artisans. While lauding CIMAF for observing standards in their field, he however expressed worry over how some cement manufacturing companies do not prioritise the quality of their products. He says a committee has been set up by his ministry to regulate cement companies.
“Hitherto, somebody either a foreigner or a Ghanaian can just say that I am starting cement manufacturing. Let me just write to Ghana Standards Authority or let me just go to EPA and take a permit. That’s all. But the policymakers, those in charge of policy, that is those in charge of the trading itself, that is the ministry of trade and industry have to come up with that regulation. So far, a committee has been put in place. It would be inaugurated next two weeks, and then we will take off”.
The sales and marketing director of CIMAF, Joseph Kobina Aboo has been highlighting how artisans stand to benefit from their initiative.
“This training will help the masons to be able to identify and apply the right method which is to be used for them to get better results in order for them to build a strong nation. Our aim is to produce quality cement that will help the building of this nation to be stronger because we believe in quality products. If it is wrongly applied, you will not get the right results”.