Plan Ghana on Tuesday inaugurated a Youth Auto-mechanics Skills Training Centre in Koforidua.

The programme was undertaken in collaboration with Plan Korea, Hyundai Motor Company, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and GRATIS Foundation.

The Plan Ghana initiative, also known as the Hyundai-KOICA Dream Centre will provide training in auto-mechanics to the youth in employable skills with emphasis on self-employment, Mr Prem Shukla, Country Director, Plan Ghana said.

He expressed gratitude to Hyundai Motors and KOICA for providing $ 1,012,785 financial support towards the provision of the Centre.

He noted that in February 2012, the foundation was laid for the construction of the Centre and said he was happy to note that within a space of one year, construction work was completed and ready for use.

Mr Shukla said the objective of the Centre was to train at least 80 youth annually in knowledge of Auto-mechanics and entrepreneurial skills and to empower them to become self-employed.

“As we speak, the centre has already enrolled 46 students of which 10 are females who have begun the Auto-mechanic Course.

“It is expected that by the end of the three-year course, 80 students will not only graduate, but would have been prepared adequately to begin their own businesses in the field of auto-mechanics to help shape up their lives,” he said.

He expressed the hope that the partnership with Hyundai Motors and KOICA would be further strengthened and paved the way for innovative and creative projects to help facilitate the process of development in Ghana.

“We also look forward to partnering organisations like KOICA and local organisations such as the GRATIS Foundation in Ghana which could attest to the fact that Plan has credibility and is capable of executing projects aimed at making a positive impact in the lives of people in the communities.”

Mr Emmanuel Asiedu, Chief Executive Officer, GRATIS Foundation, said the focus of their manufacturing effort was the manufacturing of agro-processing equipment.

“GRATIS has for the past years been manufacturing equipment aimed at eliminating the drudgery involved in traditional production process, reducing post-harvest losses and increasing productivity and incomes.”

Mr Asiedu indicated that equipment manufactured by GRATIS for the food processing sector include Gari, chips and high quality cassava flour, palm oil, kernel oil and shea butter processing, fish smoking, honey making, vegetable oil and fruit juice extraction, maize threshing, tomato and pepper grinding and cereal.

He said GRATIS also produces sanitation equipment such as garbage push trucks, open and closed solid waste containers and dustbins to help in waste disposal.

Mr Victor Smith, Caretaker Eastern Regional Minister, said tackling youth empowerment is high on the agenda of the Government since they are the main source of human capital and key players in the nations socio-cultural, economic and political development.

“Indeed we all accept and appreciate the fact that training, development and empowerment of our youth are the key determinants of our nation’s progress,” he said.

The Korean Ambassador, Kyun Jea-Min, noted that about 50 years ago Korean was one of the poorest countries in the world, but with similar programmes, the nation could now rub shoulders with global giants.