By :Isaac Amoah

The Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) Foundation will soon graduate about 2,000 artisans who are currently taking their final exams at various centres across 12 regions out of the 16 regions in the country.

The GNPC Foundation Skilled Artisan Training programme is being done for free and the beneficiaries have opportunities to undertake about 22 disciplines such as make-up, tailoring, hairdressing, carpentry, fabrication, plumbing, among others.

Those who pass the exams are graduated and given start-up kits or tools by GNPC Foundation in the next few days after the exams.

The Head of Media at GNPC Foundation, Mr. Moses Antwi Benefo, said the foundation is committed to skills training, targeting the youth as part of its commitment to help reduce unemployment in the country.

Some scenes from the standard examination

He revealed that 315 out of about 2,500 people in the Ashanti region,have undergone training so far.

Mr. Benefo disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday, 22nd October 2024, on the premises of Old Oforikrom Municipal Assembly during GNPC Foundation Phase 2 Skilled Artisans Project.

The artisans took standard NVTI exams on Tuesday at the Old Municipal Assembly at Oforikrom, where successful artisans will be graduated and given start-up tools.

Mr. Benefo said, in partnership with Aseda Foundation, the skills training institute is committed to empowering the unemployed youth with the requisite skills and tools for them to become self-employed.

He revealed that the impact assessment done on about 300 graduands of the programme last year shows clearly that most of them are multiplying in their outputs.

According to him, the selection process is very open and transparent, adding that the foundation always liaises with NVTI. He, therefore, encouraged the youth to take advantage of the programme.

Also, Mr. Benefo advised the beneficiaries not to misuse their start-up tools but rather use them for their intended purposes so as to also help empower other unskilled people.

On her part, the Aseda Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Madam Diana Adjei, commended GNPC Foundation for partnering with her foundation to empower the youth with employable skills.

According to her, vocational training is the best way to reduce unemployment rate in the country. She, therefore, appealed to more organisations to come on board to help train more people.

Besides, she encouraged the unemployed and unskilled youth, especially women across the country, to take advantage of the GNPC Foundation Skilled Artisan Training programme.