The training, funded by the World Bank under the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project, will lead to the award of a National Certificate One in Welding.

The orientation introduced the apprentices to Ghana's TVET transformation agenda, guided them on expected standards and codes of conduct and provided a pep talk on the opportunities available after completing their training and assessments.

Speaking to the apprentices, the Director-General of GAEC, Prof. Samuel Boakye Dampare, urged them to take their lessons seriously, emphasising that doing so would help alleviate the unemployment situation in the country.

He advised them to consider entrepreneurship after completing their training.

“After your training, two or four of you can come together to start a business. This is the way to go and our GAEC-TVET team is here to assist you in that regard once you are done,” he said. 

Gratitude

He expressed gratitude to CTVET and other partners for collaborating with GAEC to provide TVET training to learners, thereby creating jobs and bolstering the country’s socio-economic development.

The Chairperson of the GAEC-TVET Committee, Prof. Dickson Adomako, urged the apprentices to conduct themselves appropriately and to handle equipment carefully so that they remained available for future users.

Prof. Adomako, who also serves as the Deputy Director-General of GAEC, encouraged the apprentices to be ambassadors for the GAEC-TVET programmes.

“You will be ambassadors of the GAEC-TVET programme, and to fulfil this role, you must be exemplary in both your words and actions,” he stated.

He also reminded them to adhere to the GAEC rules whenever they were on the Commission's premises.

The Project Coordinator for GAEC-TVET, Sheila Frimpong, thanked the leadership for their support and commitment to TVET activities in GAEC, emphasising their belief that TVET was crucial to the country's transformation.