MasterCard Foundation, in collaboration with the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), has graduated 630 youth who have benefited from skilled training in the Ashanti Region.

Beneficiaries were trained in dress-making, welding, pastries and other crafts.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprise Agency, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, wants the graduates to invest more time to grow their businesses.

The graduates went through apprenticeships for a year with full scholarship from Ghana Enterprise Agency and MasterCard Foundation.

Beneficiaries were supported with start-up kits to enable them start their businesses. Certificates were awarded to trainees by accredited TVET institutions.

CEO for Ghana Enterprise Agency, Mrs. Kosi Yankey- Ayeh urged the young entrepreneurs to invest their time in making their businesses successful.

"We've trained over 8,000 under the apprenticeship to entrepreneurship component over a year.

In the next two years I want to see that the beneficiaries have moved beyond the start up phase where they've been able to train and employ others,"she said. 

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, says skills training should not be underestimated.

He believes this is the only avenue to reduce unemployment in the country.

"In this country, we have people who have negative perception about people who branch into technical vocational education, they believe they are unintelligent but that's not true."

"While others are looking for job avenues these people have ready jobs after training. It's time we give the maximum respect to their sector,” he said.

A beneficiary, Oppong Mary, wants the Ghana Enterprise Agency (G.E.A) to assist in accessing business centers

"I'm very glad I have been able to complete this training and I can also employ and train others but after training, getting a business center can be quite difficult. We plead with GEA to assist us in getting centers," she said.