The Director-General of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Prof. Samuel Boakye Dampare has urged young women to pursue Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to improve their chances of finding work.
According to the Director-General, there is a high demand for skilled labour, but many young women are not drawn to the sector due to misguided perceptions and the sector being dominated by men.
Prof. Dampare made these remarks during an orientation for young women participating in the Young African Works (YAW) strategy initiative in TVET programmes at the GAEC in Accra to kick-start a two-month skills development in ICT with technical support from the GAEC for the CAMFED.
He urged them to take advantage of such skill development initiatives to gain employable skills that would help reduce unemployment in the country.
“It will also help bridge the gender gap in TVET and break the jinx of male dominance,” he stressed.
“This is an excellent opportunity for you to get new knowledge. And since you have the chance to participate in this programme, please take advantage of it,” he added.
Prof. Dampare thanked CAMFED for the opportunity to empower young women through TVET.
He also encouraged the participants to pursue big dreams, such as becoming entrepreneurs.
“Try to start small businesses that employ two or three other people,” he advised.
On her part, the Acting Director of Commercialization and Communication Directorate (CCD) of GAEC, Ms. Sheila Frimpong indicated that the collaboration between GAEC and CAMFED to train women in TVET programmes began about two years ago with the goal of empowering young women to gain employable skills to secure their livelihoods.
“It’s clear that it’s no longer a man’s world. With proper training, women can succeed in the technical and vocational sectors. And we’ll do it better because women are more detail-oriented,” she remarked.
She urged the participants to stay focused and take advantage of the TVET program to gain practical knowledge and update their skill sets in order to reduce unemployment.
Participants will receive training in entrepreneurship, photography, computer programming, graphic designing and web development.