Mr Dan Botwe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, has distributed 100 sewing machines and hair dryers to some vocational training institutions and individual trainers to support training of 182 young ladies in apprenticeship to acquire skills in dressmaking and hairdressing.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview on Monday after the distribution of the items to the beneficiaries, Mr Botwe said his main aim was to ensure that the ladies acquired skills which could land them jobs or make them self- employed after completing their training within the next two to three years.

The MP said since he became MP he noticed the high rate of unemployment among the youth in the constituency and tried to find a solution to that problem.

Mr Botwe said as a way of solving the problem, he realized that there were a number of the young people who could not get employed even if thousands of jobs were opened due to lack of employable skills and decided to use part of his common fund to train the young ladies.

He said the next batch of the sponsorship would go to young men who wanted to acquire skills in carpentry, automobile mechanic (fitting), tailoring, masonry and driving.

Mr Botwe said all the beneficiaries completed Junior High and Senior High Schools and could not further their education due to financial difficulties and added that such categories of people should not be left to their fate.

He commended the trainers who agreed to accept GHC 200.00 each per trainee instead of the normal fee of GHC300.00.

The Assembly Member for Adukrom Methodist Mission Electoral Area, Ms Angelina Konadu Addo, who received the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, commended Mr Botwe for his efforts to solve unemployment problems in the area.

One of the beneficiaries, Ms Rosina Ofori, on behalf of her colleagues thanked Mr Botwe for the gesture.

She told the GNA that some of the apprentices had completed Junior High School for more than three years, but due to financial difficulties they could not further their education.

One of the trainees told GNA that the programme had come at the right time and that they would complete the training to make them useful to society.