Wassa Akropong (W/R) Aug.9 GNA- Mr. Jabaah John Bennam, Deputy Minister for Manpower and Employment, on Friday said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is determined to establish more vocational training institutions in the country.

This was contained in an address read for him at the graduation ceremony of 276 persons who completed training under the government's Skills Training and Employment Placement (STEP) programme at eight Integrated Community Centres for Employable Skills (ICCES) at Wassa Akropong in the Western Region.

The trainees are the first ICCES beneficiaries in the region. Mr. Bennam said the government sponsored a two-week registration exercise of the unemployed at 365 registration centers throughout the country and mandated the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment to draw programmes for the youth to acquire employable skills.

Mr. Bennam said provision of skills training to the youth would not by itself reduce unemployment in urban and rural areas.

He explained that this must be linked up with the promotion and development of small-scale and micro enterprises, through the formation of Co-operative Societies by graduates of vocational institutions. Mr. Bennam hoped the government would provide members of the various co-operative groups with working tools and equipment that will serve as seed capital.

Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, in an address read for him, said the training was in consonance with the government's avowed aim of producing skilled and motivated workforce that would help to take the country out of poverty.

He said the programme is a good indication of the government's commitment to equip the youth particularly JSS and SSS graduates with employable skills.

Mr. Seth Victor Apraku-Mensah, National Director of ICCES, said STEP is being financed with HIPC Fund, and ICCES has trained 1,551 unemployed youth throughout the country.

He said 51 branches of ICCES are involved in the Programme, which will enter its second phase in September this year, and that, the government has decided to increase funding by 30 percent for the programme.

Mr. Apraku-Mensah said when funding is increased, vocations like grass cutter, rabbit, snail rearing and mushroom cultivation would be introduced.

He said graduates of the STEP Programme would be given seed capital, through designated rural banks to form co-operatives in order to benefit from the micro-financing scheme.

Mr. Apraku-Mensah said production units would be established at ICCES to market products of trainees. Mr. Donatus Kuma, Regional ICCES Coordinator said the graduates were trained in textiles, carpentry, masonry, kente weaving, soap making and food processing. 09 Aug. 2003