The Twin-Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP) funded by the European Union (EU) and being implemented in the cities of Sekondi-Takoradi and Palermo in Italy has launched a Skills Development Training in Sekondi for 350 beneficiaries. The launch forms part of activities to commemorate the 2023 Europe Month celebration in Ghana on the theme “Celebrating Youth and Skills”. The event was also used to celebrate the contributions and initiatives of EU to support the Ghanaian youth to acquire the right skills for quality jobs. The launch brought together chiefs, youth groups, small-holder farmers, CSOs, people with disabilities, media and women groups.
Hon. Abdul-Mumin Issah, the Mayor of Sekondi-Takoradi in his keynote address indicated that a workforce in a society with the skills that are in demand contributes to sustainable growth which leads to more innovation and improves competitiveness. He bemoaned the increasing rate of unemployment in the metropolis which has given a surge to criminal activities among other vices and urged the youth
to consider skills training seriously. The mayor noted that skills acquisition has the tendency to provide the beneficiaries with alternative livelihoods
and increase their income coupled with the employment opportunities accompanying it.
Hon. Issah pointed out that the objective of the training is to impact on the lives of vulnerable groups including unemployed women and youth as well
as potential future migrants. He added that beneficiaries would receive training in crop production, animal husbandry, aquaculture, bio-digester technology,
eco-friendly oven production and plastic waste recycling. He hinted that the project would provide assistance to well-deserving trainees as they would be
supported to set-up social enterprises, construct 500 bio-digester toilets and 100 eco-friendly ovens for households in low income coastal and fishing communities across the metropolis.
As part of the activities for the training launch, Journalists were taken on a tour to the centers where the training would be undertaken. The first site to visit was the emonstration Farm with a Greenhouse Technology as well as open-farm with urban agriculture techniques. The farm is engaged in the rearing of rabbits, poultry, catfish and also into the growing of vegetables such as tomatoes, pepper, onions, turmeric, ginger, carrots, yam among others. The team also inspected the site of Entrepreneurship and Skills Training Center on Climate-Smart Production Technologies. Mr. Ernest Nyampong, the Metro Works Engineer explained that the edifice has a spacious training and machine rooms, manager’s office, changing rooms, place of convenience and overhead water tank. He added that some of the practical lesson sessions would be held outside of the main building.