Over the years, the Cape Coast Centre for National Culture (CNC)‘s marketable training programme had supported and sustained livelihoods of participants in the Region, Ms.
Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, the Acting Central Regional Director of the Centre has said.
She said, the annual skills training presented tangible evidence of the Centre’s direct impact and relevance towards human development, employment and wealth creation and seeks to improve the socio-economic standards of trainees as well as reduce unemployment.
Ms Alhassan was speaking at the official launch of the 2020 marketable skills training program in bead craft, hair braiding, decoration, and basic sewing which is slated to end on September 10.
The Centre this year recoded low participation of 20 people as compared to 61 participants last year, due to the impact of COVID-19.
Global Host Project, an NGO provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) this year to support the program.
“It is quite unfortunate that the Centre recorded a low turn out as compared to the previous years but above all, it has helped make facilitators move rapidly with the training” Ms Alhassan noted.
The training is one of the Centre’s flagship projects initiated in 2017 to bring hope to the doorsteps of youth groups and especially young girls and women who wish to acquire hands-on skills as a means to creating self-employment.
Ms. Alhasssan indicated that the training also presented tangible evidence of the Centre’s direct impact and relevance towards human development, employment and wealth creation, and seeks to further improve the socio-economic standards of trainees, by addressing the problem of unemployment in the country.
Mr. David Chapman, Head of Programs at the Centre also said the training addresses the eight specific objectives of the cultural policy of Ghana which aims at identifying, developing and rewarding creative talents, and making artistic products contribute to wealth creation both for creative individuals and the nation as a whole.
“Beneficiaries would be awarded certificates of participation at a graduation ceremony to climax the end of their apprenticeship ‘ he said.
He added that the Centre was looking forward to seek partnership and support from other agencies to boost its activities and made it more interesting for both participants and facilitators.
Mrs. Rebecca Ayim Mensah who is the Head of Visual Arts said facilitators selected for the training were all a part of the human resource department of the Centre and assured that they were well endowed in their fields and impacting greatly into the training of participants.
She said the training has made the Centre met one of its core mandates of giving meaning to people’s lives and giving back to the society.
Accessing the corporation of participants, she said: “Overall I would say it has been great with them and their active involvement have been a motivation to us all”.
Mrs. Ayim Mensah also said the Centre was strictly adhering to the COVID 19 protocols and assured that each person was safe.
A participant, Miss Kukua Mensah also a student, said the training was a good opportunity to bring out the creativity in participants and was elated that it was going to serve as a source of income for her.
She further encouraged all, particularly students to avail themselves and get something profitable doing while awaiting school reopening to accrue some income to support themselves.
Source: gna
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