The Volta Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Divine Bosson, has urged graduates of the Erigem Institute of Floral Design and Culinary Arts in Ho to rely on their acquired skills to create livelihoods rather than wait for formal employment.
He said vocational and technical skills remained valuable assets that could help young people become economically independent and overcome the challenge of limited job opportunities.
Mr Bosson made the call when he served as Special Guest of Honour at the graduation ceremony of the institute, where 109 trainees, including five males, received certificates from the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI).
The ceremony, held in Ho, brought together the institute’s 11th and 12th graduating classes. The 11th graduation was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The graduates were trained in cake decoration and sugarcraft, balloon and floral decoration, and catering.
Mr Bosson encouraged the graduates to remain committed to their chosen areas of specialisation and use their skills to generate income.
“Skill training provides the opportunity to make a living out of anything. When they say there is no job, remember your skill,” he said.
Established in 2010 as a centre for cake decoration and confectionery art, the Erigem Institute has since trained more than 1,000 people from different parts of the country.
The Founder and Director of the Institute, Madam Mariam Adzroe, said the school had recently moved from its original location to a permanent facility within the Ho Municipality.
She said the institute remained committed to supporting vulnerable people, including orphans, and had awarded scholarships to 20 beneficiaries among the graduating class.
Madam Adzroe appealed to individuals, organisations and the government to support the completion of an ongoing hostel facility to enable the institute to accommodate more trainees.
She also called for the provision of a school bus to address transportation challenges and support the institute’s efforts to expand its training programmes.
“We are complementing the government’s efforts and we need support to train more people to become economically independent,” she said.
Madam Adzroe expressed optimism about the future of the institution, saying its long-term vision was to establish the first private vocational university in Ghana.
She also expressed appreciation to the government for previously supporting the institute with personal protective equipment and sanitary materials during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Telecommunications Engineer, Mr Douglas Wagba, also advised the graduates to view the ceremony as the beginning of another phase of learning rather than the end of their education.
He encouraged them to continuously acquire knowledge and improve their skills to remain competitive.
The ceremony featured an exhibition of products and services demonstrating the competence of the graduates in their respective fields.
A fundraising exercise was also held to mobilise resources towards the completion of the institute’s hostel facility, with individuals and organisations making contributions.
