Rebecca Donkor CEO of Make-Up flanked by other officials
In a significant stride towards enhancing the beauty industry in Ghana and boosting job creation, Makeup Ghana has secured funding from the Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF) to develop a Higher National Diploma (HND) programme in Makeup Artistry. This initiative marks a vital step in the beauty sector’s quest for standardisation and specialisation.
Makeup Ghana embarked on its Standardisation Project in 2018, aiming to elevate the beauty industry in Ghana through a comprehensive approach that included certification and licensing, a code of practice, and product certification. This multifaceted approach encompasses all stakeholders, including practitioners, brands, and retailers.
In 2019 and 2020, the first phase of certification and licensing was completed, resulting in the Level 3 National Certificate in Makeup Artistry. This accomplishment was a significant milestone for the makeup sub-sector in Ghana, but there was a recognised need for a higher-level programme to cater to the growing demand for specialised makeup artists.
To address this demand and tackle the oversaturation of lower-level qualified makeup artists, Makeup Ghana applied to the Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF), a subcomponent of the Ghana Jobs and Skill Project (GSJP), administered by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). The proposal emphasised the need for higher-paying and specialist makeup artistry jobs, which would be facilitated by a Level 5 TVET programme.
The GSDF recognised the importance of the project in maintaining job growth momentum in this fast-growing, female-driven subsector. The approval of this initiative is expected to elevate the beauty industry in Ghana and provide more lucrative work opportunities.
Rebecca Donkor, the CEO of Makeup Ghana, expressed gratitude for the support from the GSDF and CTVET, saying, “The hallmark of a progressive sector is recognising bottlenecks hampering growth early. Saturation in Certificate 1 trained Makeup Artists has led to unhealthy competition with low-priced services. We needed a path to grow the number of Certificate 2 trained makeup professionals and, more importantly, a path for specialisation for more lucrative work opportunities and faster job growth.
“This HND programme is the path to facilitating the demand, and we are grateful to GSDF and CTVET for their support. We are also extremely grateful to our industry practitioners and other stakeholders for dedicating their time, knowledge, and resources to this national assignment. The makeup industry is pioneering an HND programme in the beauty & wellness sector, and we look forward to this spurring on more such initiatives.”
The development of the HND programme in Makeup Artistry is expected to not only raise the standard of beauty education but also contribute to the growth of job opportunities in the sector, serving as an exemplary model for other skill-based industries in Ghana.
By Francis Addo