The Wa East District in the Upper West Region has taken delivery of tools and equipment to support 90 apprentices undergoing training under the government’s National Apprenticeship Programme. The items include 50 manual sewing machines for garment‑making apprentices, eight hair dryers, sets of combs and rollers for hairdressing apprentices, as well as 16 machines for master craft persons, comprising eight industrial sewing machines and eight knitting machines.
These beneficiaries form part of 130 apprentices enrolled under the programme in the district, with the remaining 40 expected to receive their equipment when the relevant items become available. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, the Member of Parliament for Wa East, said the initiative was critical to addressing unemployment by equipping young people with practical skills.
He noted that traditional academic pathways alone had not been sufficient to address the country’s unemployment challenge, making skills development an important avenue for preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. Dr Jasaw said the programme would cover various trades, including garment‑making, hairdressing, welding and fabrication, motor fitting, carpentry, masonry and joinery.
He explained that each master craftsperson under the programme would train at least five apprentices and, subject to performance, could be retained to train another batch. The MP further disclosed that master craft persons would receive monthly training fees based on the number and category of apprentices under their supervision, while apprentices would also receive stipends to support them during the training period.
He, however, said some beneficiaries were yet to receive their payments due to challenges with Ghana Card details and other data‑related issues. The Regional Coordinator of the National Apprenticeship Programme, Joseph Sungbuobu Banye, assured that such bottlenecks would be identified and resolved through monitoring.
Mr Banye urged the beneficiaries to take proper care of the equipment, stressing that the items were intended to strengthen the training centres and not serve as the personal property of individual trainees. He further cautioned beneficiaries against fraudsters who may demand money in exchange for equipment under the programme. He said neither the National Apprenticeship Programme nor officials of the programme would call beneficiaries to transfer money into personal mobile money accounts.
Looking ahead, the programme aims to equip the remaining apprentices and expand training across more districts, with the goal of creating a skilled workforce ready for the Ghanaian economy. The district’s leadership will monitor the rollout and address any logistical hurdles to ensure the equipment reaches all intended users.
