Accra, July 9, GNA - Ms. Gloria Akuffo, Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister on Friday said institutions that train people to acquire skills must be recognised and supported because their existence has greatly impacted on the country's development.

She said a nation with great skills and talents has what it takes to make it and develop since people with such potentials could, through their productive economic activities turn the economy around. Speaking at the 21st graduation ceremony of the Cake Teknis Institute, in Accra, Mrs Akuffo said, Ghana could not develop unless her people deplore and unleash their skills into productive activities.

Ms Akuffo said contributions from informal businessmen and women, such as caterers, dressmakers and designers, florists, formed a vital part of the country's developmental process. She urged people in such professions never to despise their work by trying to compare themselves to other people in "white collar" jobs adding, "everyone's work is unique and is needed for the total development of the our nation,"

The Deputy Regional Minister said in as much as we should promote and encourage people to acquire formal education, we should also not loose sight of the fact that the informal aspect could not be de-linked from the entire developmental agenda.

Ms Akuffo told the graduands, "whatever skill you have acquired, was to empower you in diverse ways and you should know that no one can take that skill(s) from you."

Mrs Jane Addo, the Director of the Institute said fulfilling gasping deficiencies, which existed in the training of students in the catering sector, as far as cake designs, balloons and floral techniques were concerned in the country was the main aim of the school.

She urged the over one hundred graduands, who were awarded certificates and diplomats to go out to improve and maximize their skills and work hard to fit into the emerging challenges in the catering sector.

The handiworks of the graduands, which came in various cake and flora designs thrilled guests to the extent that some had to remain at the exhibition ground to watch and take photographs till the end of the programme.

Some of cakes were designed in the form of computer and its accessories, castles, volley and football pitches, shirts, and shoes, among others.