Gomoa-Mprumem (C/R), March 11, GNA - Mr David Mensah, Acting Deputy Director of the Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES), has charged boards of vocational training schools in the Regions, to formulate strategic development plans that would facilitate the growth of such institutions.

They must also forge the necessary linkages with their district, municipal and metropolitan assemblies and other development partners for the much needed tools, equipment and other support to enable them to achieve their objectives.

Mr Mensah was inaugurating a nine-member Board of Governors for the Gomoa-Mprumem based Apaaba Vocational Training Institute at Gomoa-Mprumem.

Apaaba Vocational Training Institute provides skills training in dressmaking, hairdressing, catering, carpentry among others, to the youth, especially school leavers.

Mr Mensah expressed the hope that members of the Apaaba Vocational Training Institute would take the initiative to foster such vital linkages with the Gomoa District Assembly to secure the required tools, equipment and other materials for effective skills training programmes. He charged the Board to do all it could to ensure early completion of a block being constructed for the Catering Department and the extension of electricity to the Institute because the two projects were vital for its effective running.

The ICCES Acting Deputy Director further urged the Gomoa District Assembly to foster closer collaboration with the Management and the Board of Governors of Apaaba Vocational Training Institute to improve infrastructure and other facilities that would help increased enrolment and training of more jobless school leavers in the District.

He expressed satisfaction about the visionary leadership spirit and hard work put up by Mr James Yaw Frempong, Principal of the APAABA Vocational Training Institute and advised him to sustain it. Mr Mensah assured the Management and Board of ICCES'S continued support, adding that plans were underway to resolve the staff challenges confronting the Institute.

Mr Frempong, Principal of the Institute, repeated management's call on ICCES to strive to impress upon central government and donor organizations to come to the aid of the Institute.

Earlier, Mr Frempong had outlined the training and other programmes of the Institute and urged parents and guardians to patronise the school by sending their wards there.

Nana Edu Effrim X, Apaahene and Chairman of the Board of Governors, added his voice to the call on the government to extend financial and other assistance to promising private vocational training schools to ensure effective and efficient training of the youth.

Nana Edu Effrim maintained that since the initiatives of these patriotic individuals were geared towards the promotion various skills training interventions put in place by the state, they should be considered for part of the GETFUND to encourage them to do more. Other members of the Board were Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, MP for Navrongo Central, 1st Vice Chairman, Nana Awomrew I, Mankrado of Apam, 2nd Vice Chairman, Mr Godfrey Ewool, Director, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment and Ms Abi Blankson, a Director of the Ministry of Education.

The rest were, Mr Fred Oscar Abban, Presiding Member of the Gomoa District Assembly, Mr Rod Wright, an Educationist and citizen of Birmingham, United Kingdom, Mr James Emmanuel Krampah, and Mr James Yaw Frempong, Principal of the Institute. 11 March 07