Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) is to launch an internship and mentoring programme for women in tertiary institutions to expose them to skills needed to work in the energy industry.

The pilot project which will be launched next week will see 50 females from five universities go through a two-month internship programme in the energy sector. 

This project is expected to run until 2021 with the aim of seeing over 300 females trained and mentored.

Beneficiary schools include Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Accra Technical University, Koforidua Technical University, Kumasi Technical University and Akwatia Technical Institute.

The implementing entities include Electricity Company of Ghana, Ghana Standards Authority and Energy Commission.

Communications Director of MiDA, Pamela Djamson announced this initiative at a press conference said this initiative will bridge the gender gap in the energy sector and allow for an even ground for both genders.

“We are excited that we are introducing this activity because it is going to be so impactful and so instrumental in altering the dynamics in the power sector,” she said.

On her part, Director of Gender and Social Inclusion at MiDA, Dr Cherub Antwi Nsiah said the initiative is to encourage as many women into the energy sector. 

She added that most of these women face discrimination hence the need to introduce this initiative to equip them for the job market.

“We want to equip them to be very attractive candidates in the job market and there are supervisors to ensure that they do what they are there to do. But in addition, we are also going to give them leadership skills, ethics, time management etc to create awareness about discrimination against women at the workplace”, she added.