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The government has been urged to increase investment in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector to help develop the inherent talents of young learners.
The Director of the EKGS Culinary Institute, Efua Goode-Obeng Kyei, said this should come in addition to youth entrepreneurship, culinary innovation, modern training equipment and facilities, as well as strategic partnerships between schools, industries and policymakers.
“If Ghana is to build a resilient, inclusive and creative economy, we must elevate the status of technical and vocational education,” she said at the 47th Graduation of the EKGS Institute in Accra last Sunday.
In all, 110 students graduated at the event, which was on the theme: “Developing culinary capital; Shaping Ghana’s economic growth through creative skills and innovation”.
There was an exhibition of products made by the graduates.
Mrs Kyei charged government agencies, financial institutions, development partners, and corporate Ghana to support institutions such as EKGS and the thousands of young people whose future depended on those skills.
“For far too long, society viewed the culinary arts merely as domestic activities. But today, we recognise that culinary excellence is serious economic capital — a sector capable of job creation, innovation, export potential and national identity,” she said.
For over 27 years, she said, EKGS Culinary Institute had trained over 9,000 students and that over 9,000 lives had been transformed and over 9,000 opportunities created, adding that many of those individuals now ran thriving catering companies.
Some, Mrs Kye said, had built pastry brands with national visibility, others had become floral designers, event decorators, culinary instructors, or international entrepreneurs.
“Their success reminds us that Culinary training is not a second option,” she said.
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, urged the graduands to “let excellence guide you, creativity inspire you, innovation distinguish you, and entrepreneurship elevate you.
“Go and build businesses, transform your communities, contribute to Ghana's economic growth, and carry the taste and creativity of Ghana to the world.
“May your journey be impactful, may your creativity flourish, and may your skills shape the future of Ghana,” she said.
The world, she said, was competitive but also rewarded those who dared to innovate and remain authentic, adding that nobody wanted photocopies of anything.
“All we want is something that is original, so be original,” she told the graduates.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, she said, remained committed to positioning Ghana as a top-tier cultural and culinary tourism destination under the Black Star Experience.
Under the Black Star Experience, she said, the ministry organised the Afro Gastro Fair at the iconic Amenguruma Memorial Park, and that was to bring to the fore the power of food as a diplomatic tool apart from its nourishing powers.
“We have 14 African countries and 47 countries participating in that fair,” she said.
