Mrs. Jane Boakye Mensah, a Lecturer at the Oyska Institute of Cosmetology has called for the improvement of infrastructure for technical and vocational institutions to make available programs attractive to the youth.

According to the lecturer, not all students can further their education to the secondary level due to financial constraints, but vocational institutions if strengthened, could help increase employment rate and as well assist the youth discover hidden talents.

Mrs. Boakye said this at the Ghana Progressive Hair dressers and Beautician Association (GPHBA) Tamale branch workshop held for its members.

The one month workshop which was funded by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET) aimed at educating members on how to provide quality services on manicure, pedicure, weaving, saloon management among others.

She said: “Beauticians, if supported, will go a long way to reduce the unemployment rate, and as well enable them acquire entrepreneurial skills.”

She advised the hairdressers and the beauticians to seek guidance and education from professional dermatologists on chemicals so as to give them practical insight on the profession.

Touching on other issues, she stressed that there were fake creams which contained strong chemicals like mercury and lead which are harmful to the skin and kidney, adding that, members should purchase creams from right shops.

Mrs. Boakye edged the members to cultivate good communication habit to improve the profession, adding that, the only way one could maintain a customer was through good communication skills.

Mrs. Georgina Emmidemi, the President of GPHBA, Tamale, called on government to reduce the tax rates on the Association. She said that, it has affected the business woefully since most of them took loans to establish their business.

According to her, GPHBA which depends on quality hair products for services faced constraints in their operation due to in-flood of fake hair products on the Ghanaian Market.

Fake hair products she said, are gradually collapsing the hair dressing industry due to their harmful effect on consumers.

She called on parents to invest in girl child education to avoid the increase of head-porters who have kept on increasing in the capital. She lamented that the activities of some wayside beauticians is tarnishing the image of the profession and therefore there was the need to educate them on how to use right chemicals for their clients to avoid any future dangers.

Josephine Abewoo, a participant expressed gratitude to the management for adding to their knowledge and skills.

She assured the sponsors on using the knowledge acquired to teach her workers so as to ensure a better future of the profession.