He said it should be possible for them to go beyond the professional craftsman membership to become professional engineers with zeal and determination.

To that end, he urged them to take advantage of the various courses at the technical universities in the country, particularly KsTU to upgrade themselves and increase their market values.

Induction

Prof. Dwomoh made the appeal during the induction ceremony of 284 artisans into the GhIE as professional craftsmen as part of activities under the ‘ProfArts (Professional Artisans) Project’.

The project was to bridge the skills gap and improve the employment situation of artisans in the construction sector.

The induction was also in fulfilment of the provision of Act 819 (2011) requiring the Engineering Council of Ghana to certify all members within the industry in order to maintain the professional standards and adhere to regulations, guidelines and code of ethics of Engineering practice in the country.

Industry

The craftsmen, who had undergone training sponsored by the GIZ under its Invest for Jobs project, were from the civil engineering, electrical and electronics division and mechanical, agriculture and marine divisions.

They were trained by the KsTU and the Kwadaso Methodist Technical Institute and were taught on customer care, bookkeeping, how to do an estimate and charge properly and technical skills in their respective fields.

Addressing the inductees, the president of GhIE, Rev. Prof. Charles Anum Adams, advised the newly inducted members of the institute not go back to their old ways of doing business but to add professionalism to their trade.