150 TVET graduates offered soft skills training

By Eunice Tekie Tei, GNA

Adausena (E/R), March 13, GNA - About 150 Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) graduates have been offered soft skills training.

The programme was organised by the Newmont Akyem Development Foundation (NAkDeF) in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) of Germany.

The six- day training dubbed, 'The Transition to World of Work' (T-WoW) was to expose participants to the realities of running their own businesses successfully.

Speaking at the launch for the training, Mr Paul Apenu, the Executive Secretary for NAkDeF said, the project seeks to create employment avenues for those who were trained and graduated from the Akyem Soft Skills Improvement and Sustainability Training (ASSIST) projects in the various artesanery of work.

He said the foundation would help to identify and establish links with companies to consider employment of the skills of the participants.

Mr Apenu said plans were far advanced to also assist some selected beneficiaries with start- up kits to enable them start new businesses or to improve on their existing businesses.

Mr Apenu hinted that some beneficiaries of the training would be supported by the Pempamsie Cooperative Credit Union, a financial institution established by NAkDeF to financially support less privileged in society.

He expressed the hope that the project would be coupled with an incoming foundation, Redirection Economic Project that would help to create a diversified and alternative employment opportunity for communities in their catchment areas.

Mr Apenu use the opportunity to announce some successes achieved by NAKDef since its inception in 2015, which included; 52 educational infrastructure projects to promote quality education, offering of scholarships to over 2,700 students, organizing vacation classes for students, free Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) mock for candidates in schools in the catchment area of the mines, school feeding programme and skills training programmes.

In a speech read on behalf of the General Manager of Newmont Gokdcorp- Akyem Mines, Mr Joshua Mortoti said, the initiative formed part of Newmont's purpose of creating value and improving lives through sustainable and responsible mining.

He said the programme would help open job opportunities for those who were trained and graduated from the ASSIT project in the various trades of work.

He said Newmont would continue to partner GIZ and the Birim North District Assembly to bring forth, innovation, improved decision-making process and stakeholder’s engagement.

Mr Mortoti disclosed that, till date, Newmont had made 10.9 million dollars to NAKDef through the one dollar donation for each ounce of gold produced and the donation of one per cent of the annual profit of the company before tax.

He therefore entreated the beneficiaries of the programme to put into practice what they were taught to better their living standards.

GNA

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