The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has disclosed that his next government should he be elected in the December elections would implement a programme dubbed the National Apprenticeship Programme.
According to the former president, the National Apprenticeship Programme will absorb the apprenticeship fees of 200,000 young people who are interested in learning various trades.
Outlining the details of the National Apprenticeship Programme, Mr. Mahama stated that the programme will register master craftsmen across the country and pay them to train the 200,000 young people in any trade of their choice.
He added that standardized certificates would be issued to the apprentices upon completion of their apprenticeship training. In addition, they would also be provided with tools to set up themselves in their chosen trades after the training.
Explaining the rational behind the programme, the NDC 2020 flagbearer said many young people who are interested in acquiring skills and training in vocational training are not able to pay for the training fees. Some of them, he noted, resort to migrating to urban areas to undertake menial jobs so as to finance their training.
Mr. Mahama who was speaking at a meeting with Small Business & Garage Owners and Artisans at the Wa Magazine in the Upper West Region as part of his tour of the region believes the programme will assist the teaming youth across the country to acquire the needed skills and training in trades of their choices without any obstacle.
“We are coming with what we called the National Apprenticeship Programme. We are going to register all the master craftsmen and we are going to finance the apprenticeship fees for 200,000 young people who want to become apprentices and learn a trade of their choice. Government will pay the fees to the master craftsmen and the master craftsmen will train the young people in whatever trade they choose,” he stated.
“The interesting thing is when the apprenticeship is finished, a standardized certificates will be given to them to show that they have passed through an apprenticeship and then we will give them the tools that they need to also go and setup their own workshops,” Mr. Mahama added.
The former president also promise a redevelopment of the Wa Magazine to create a convenient environment for the traders to engage in their trading activities. He added that a training school will be opened at the Wa Magazine to upgrade the skills of mechanics to be abreast of modern technology and innovation in their trade so that they are not laid off work.
He again announced that his future government will setup a credit scheme to assist mechanics at the Wa Magazine to acquire all the tools and machines needed to enhance their business.
