Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - The Management of Vocational Training for Female (VTF), on Friday presented equipment worth GHC35, 000 to 64 women who graduated in dressmaking, hairdressing, auto spraying and catering at the institute in Accra.

The equipment presented by Mrs. Linda Adjei, Acting Director of VTF,an affiliate of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), included locally made ovens, hair dryers, spraying machines and cooking utensils.

The presentation was made during the graduation of 121 women who had=

undergone five months training in Entrepreneurial Skills Training on prop= er customer care, book keeping and business registration. About 360 women had been trained and presented with equipment to beg= in their trade by the institute, since its inception in 2006. Mr. Stephen Amoanor Kwao, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare in an address read on his behalf commended the management of PCG for their concern to improve the living standard of the youth. He expressed appreciation to VTF for instituting strategies that promoted Technical Vocational and Entrepreneurial Training (TVET) as a pro-poor complementary intervention for accelerated development in the country. Mr. Amoanor Kwao urged the management of VTF to continue to play the needed advocacy role for a sustained national recognition and create awareness on TVET issues for effective policy implementation. He pledged the Ministry's preparedness to modernise traditional apprenticeship, which had been recognized as a major source of skills to industries. Ms Denise Clarke, Information and Communication Technology Specialist= at the Ministry of Education praised the recipients for their zeal to be empowered and urged them to take good care of the equipment. 18 Dec. 09