Dr Nora Bannerman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of Sleek Garment Export Limited, has advised the youth especially women to groom and equip themselves into skills training to become self sufficient, self-employed and independent to achieve their goals.
She said skills training helped in developing specific abilities, competencies, and techniques for effective performance in an occupation, adding that it would help them maximize their abilities for effective productivity.
She was speaking at the graduation ceremony of Sleek Garment Export Limited on the theme: ‘Relevant Skills Development And Its Empowerment Of Women And The Youth In The 21st Century.’
Mrs Bannerman said some challenges students faced during skills in the trade industry were lack of funds for transport and feeding, which she appealed to parents and stakeholders to help find lasting solutions to those challenges.
She called on government and all other institutions to offer skills training especially in the vocational training sector to equ
ip youths to develop more skills.
Mrs Bannerman added that, the textiles and garment industry has generated thousands of jobs in previous years, saying that, this indicated how the industry could create jobs within shortest possible time when development was made into building the industry.
The CEO advised the fashion space to collaborate with each other to enable them boost the growth of the garment and textiles industry and also produce more ideas to thrive the textile business.
Dr Zenator Agyeman Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Korle Klottey Constituency, who was at the ceremony advised the graduants to collaborate with each other and impact the knowledge they have into others to aid economic development.
She said they must continue to learn and practise their skills to generate positive results which would add value to their work.
‘Remember that someone gave me the opportunity to make my vision come true, therefore, you should also make room for other people, that is how we build the community for
people who have the skills and the passion’, she said.
She charged graduands to pay key details to their work to be able to influence their clients and not repeat mistakes from their predecessor’s.
Dr Elizabeth Dzigbordi Obinnim, Senior Lecturer, Sleek Garment Export Limited, urged all graduands to take keynote on skill development because it is a powerful tool in self growth, saying, it equips individuals not just with the pratical abilities to perform task but with the confidence to innovate and adapt in the dynamic landscape.
She said acquiring relevant skills opened doors to not only employment but also empowerment and independence, especially, women and the youth who were often disproportionately affected by the social and economic challenges.
She expressed her appreciation for the hard work and the determination they have developed, and capacity to contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s growing fashion industry.
‘Each stitches they sew, which designs they create and each strategy they implemented carri
ers the potential to not just change their own life but the fabrics of their community’, She added.
According to the Senior Lecturer, we must empower women through education to raise leaders armed with skills and knowledge to become the innovators and leaders of the future.
This, she said, the empowerment through education will not just provides skills, but rather nurture leaders who are conscious of their potentials and responsible in shaping life.
The graduation ceremony saw 100 graduates who were awarded in Advance Professional Certificates for their participation in the clothing or fashion design course.
Source: Ghana News Agency
