The flagebearer of the largest opposition party National Democratic Congress(NDC), Mr John Dramani has promised free technical and vocational training for anybody who wishes to acquire technical and vocational skills when given the nod again.
Addressing the Chiefs and people in the North Tongu Constituency as part of his tour of the Volta Region, Mr.Mahama said his administration will be coming up with a programme dubbed, ‘ the National Apprentice Programme’.
“We have a programme called the National Apprentice Programme. When you go to our major cities, you see young people by the street side selling little things, like MTN cards, they’re selling chewing gum, toffees and other things. If you ask most of them, why you by the roadside are selling, he says, oh I want to sell so that I can raise some money to go and learn a trade, that is to become an apprentice’.
“So in our manifesto, what we’re saying is we’ll register these young people who want to learn a trade so that instead of them selling these little, little, things to raise capital and go as an apprentice to learn a trade, the government will get you the master craftsmen if you’re a mechanic or you’re a dressmaker or you’re a beautician and you have your salon, it is of good standard, government will come and pay you, and we’ll bring the apprentices to you and you’ll train them,” He said.
Mr John Dramani Mahama also disclosed that under his leadership his government will take care of the costs of the apprenticeship fee so that people don’t have to go and sell items by the roadside to come and pay the apprenticeship fee.
“We’ll pay you the apprenticeship fee and we’ll send them to you, and you’ll train them. And while you’re training them, we’ll give them a little allowance so that they can be taking transport home and coming back to learn the trade. So when they qualify, you’ll give them their certificates and if it is beauticians, we’ll find them hair dryers, some rollers and combs and so they can also go and start their own trade. If they’re mechanics we’ll give them a toolbox, they’ll also go and find their corner and start repairing vehicles.
“Whatever trade it is, when they leave, we’ll give them the tools and the equipment to be able to do what they have to do. We’re going to make training under technical and vocational education free from the lowest standard to the highest standard. So, there’ll be free technical and vocational education and training. We’re going to open TVET training centres in every district and the children will go there and learn a trade free of charge. And if they want to continue, they’ll go into technical institutes and then from technical institutes they can continue into technical university and qualify as BTECH, as Auto mechanic, as HND whatever qualification they can get free of charge.” He added.
CUE: JM VOLTA
Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh/ Ahotoronline
