Invest Project Director of World University Service of Canada, Ghana(WUSC), Ms Appiah Boakye, has urged young females to take up Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to increase job prospects.
She explained that female’s ability to venture in that sector would enable them to harness the opportunities the fourth industrial revolution presented.
Ms Boakye gave the advice at the 2023 edition of the Women in TVET Business competition, under the “Invest in Her” project, an initiative by WUSC.
The competition sought to appreciate the efforts of young girls who have contributed to the industry in previous years.
Mrs Boakye said there was the need to create an enabling environment for these young girls to access lucrative and high-growth trades in the country.
”For us our interest is in how to support both supply and demand side actors, training institutions, government, curricular, regulators and the private sector to create an enabling environment for young women to be able to move and navigate these spaces,” she said.
Mrs. Boakye stated that the project aimed at creating a better environment for aspiring entrepreneurs to equip them with the needed skills and also establish themselves to motivate other young women who would want to take up the challenge.
The Project Director urged the young entrepreneurs to give off their best in their fields despite the challenges they encounter.
Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA), commended WUSC for their commitment towards supporting young females to venture into TVET through it’s “Invest in Her” project.
“It is because mostly, it is male dominated and because they are told that there is no future there for them, but once they persevere through the process, they are able to achieve far more abundantly than they can think about,” she added.
She stated that GEA was keen on supporting young female entrepreneurs to allow them grow and build their businesses.
Mrs Yankey-Ayeh urged them to take advantage of government’s YouStart Programme as an opportunity to excel in their fields.
Mr. Nelson Amo, the Chief Executive Officer of Innohub Limited, also took the young entrepreneurs through the process of financing their businesses to succeed.
Ms Ruth Kaku and Ellen Asawah of RUTHHELL enterprise in Takoradi were adjudged winners of the 2023 Women in TVET business competition with a reward of 50,000 Ghana cedis.
In all, 13 female entrepreneurs participated in this year’s event.
The “Invest in Her” project aims at improving public and industry attitudes towards women’s participation in high-growth and non-traditional sectors.