Abdul Mumin-IssahÂ
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has launched a project to help address the challenges of urban sprawl and inadequate social safety nets for vulnerable population within the area.
The Skills Development Training Programme is under the European Union (EU) funded Twin-Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project (TCSPP) being implemented in the cities of Sekondi-Takoradi and Palermo in Italy.
It is intended to train people to become employable and contribute positively to the socio-economic development of the metropolis and Ghana as a whole.
The 350 beneficiary vulnerable groups, include unemployed women and youth, returnees and potential future migrants.
They will be taught professional skills in crop production, animal husbandry, aquaculture, bio-digester technology, eco-friendly oven production and plastic waste recycling.
The training will also focus on two key areas – Urban Agriculture Techniques and Green and Climate-Smart Production Technologies.
The Urban Agriculture training will equip youth and small-holder vegetable farmers with the right skills to take advantage of opportunities in the agriculture value-chain, from production to consumption.
The Green and Climate-Smart Production Technologies training, on the other hand, will focus on recycling low-value plastic waste into marketable products, bio-digester technology, and production of eco-friendly ovens to minimise environmental pollution.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Abdul Mumin-Issah, who disclosed this at the official launch of the programme, noted that the three-year project also forms part of activities to commemorate the 2023 Europe Month celebration in Ghana.
He added that helping the vulnerable people to get the right skills for quality jobs is what the TCSPP Skills Development Training is all about.
“Among the many challenges our society faces today, is the high population of unemployed youth and its corresponding challenges.
“The TCSPP skills training is aimed at providing beneficiaries with alternative livelihoods to increase income and employment opportunities,” he explained.
He indicated that the project will also provide post training assistance to well-deserving trainees.
“They will be supported to set-up social enterprises, construct 500 bio-digester toilets and 100 eco-friendly ovens for households in low-income coastal and fishing communities, respectively across the metropolis,” he added.
From Emmanuel Opoku, TakoradiÂ