Sky Dream Skills Academy Holds 3rd Graduation Ceremony

Sky Dream Skills Academy, a branch of the International Youth Fellowship (IYF), has held its third graduation ceremony at Asofa, a suburb of Accra, graduating about 150 students under its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)-affiliated programme.

The academy focuses on equipping young people with practical, employable skills to promote entrepreneurship and reduce unemployment.

Although most beneficiaries come from the Trobu and surrounding communities, the programme remains open to youth across the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Administrator of the Academy, Nana Kobina Idan, said the initiative was designed to ensure that young people are empowered with hands-on skills that can help them become self-reliant.

“We are into practical hand skills training for the youth. We believe no young person should be denied the opportunity to discover and develop his or her potential,” he stated.

According to him, the third edition initially enrolled about 380 students. However, after the Christmas break, many university students who had taken advantage of the training during vacation returned to school, leaving about 150 students to complete the programme and graduate.

The third edition marked a significant expansion in course offerings.

While earlier editions featured training in floral decoration, fashion design, household chemicals production, graphic design and foreign languages such as French, Korean and Chinese, the latest edition introduced additional programmes.

New courses included makeup artistry, manicure and pedicure, barbering, and hairdressing. The academy also expanded its ICT training to incorporate STEM and robotic engineering, in line with Ghana’s growing emphasis on science and technology education.

In addition, a business development module was introduced to equip trainees with practical knowledge in entrepreneurship, record-keeping, cost management and basic accounting.

“As much as they are learning the skills, they must also know how to run a business. Government alone cannot solve unemployment challenges. That is why we are offering this free weekend skills training to support the youth,” Mr. Idan said.

He noted that the programme was largely free, with students only contributing a small fee for certification during graduation. The academy also provides about 70 percent of materials required for practical training.

Looking ahead, the fourth edition is scheduled to begin with an orientation on March 21, followed by training on March 22.

Organisers plan to introduce bead making and reintroduce foreign language classes in Korean, French and Chinese. They anticipate graduating between 250 and 300 students in the next cycle.

Some graduates shared testimonies of transformation.

A Cakes and Pastries trainee said the programme boosted her confidence and skills, adding that she plans to turn her training into a side business.

Another who studied household chemicals production, said she can now manufacture and sell products such as liquid soap and detergents.

 

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