EKGS Culinary Institute holds 45th graduation ceremony as director reiterates commitment to reducing unemployment

EKGS Culinary Institute on Sunday, December 3, held its 45^th Graduation & Exhibition ceremony at the Accra International Conference Centre.

The colourful ceremony was held on the theme; "Building The Human Capital For The Culinary Industry: The Way To Economic Transformation: EKGS Culinary Institute, Doing Great Things With Creative Minds".

The ceremony saw 130 people who have been trained in pastry and beverage art, sugar art, cookery art, and floral art graduating after completing the course.

Delivering an address at the ceremony, the Director of EKGS Culinary Institute, Mrs. Efua Goode-Obeng Kyei noted that she is proud two new sets of batches from the Institute are graduating, adding that in the 25 years that the institute has been in existence, over 8,000 people have been trained.

She said the services being offered by the culinary industry, which includes the creation of jobs in our restaurants and hotels sub-sector, contribute significantly to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), making the culinary industry an important sector, that requires quality human resource base to continue to influence and determine economic growth and national development.

Mrs. Efua Goode-Obeng Kyei

She assured that the Institute will continue to train quality people in its drive to help reduce the unemployment rate in Ghana.

“At this critical moment of growing unemployment in the country, you need a vibrant culinary industry to rewrite the narrative. EKGS Culinary Institute is therefore truly doing great things with creative minds to reduce the growing unemployment situation with the training of the right human resources,” Mrs. Efua Goode-Obeng Kyei said.

In her desire to train more people, the Director of EKGS Culinary Institute announced at the 45^th graduation ceremony that the Institute will apply a 50 percent discount on tuition fees to 10 less privileged students as part of its Corporate Social Responsibilities in the 2024 academic year.

In her concluding remarks, Mrs. Efua Goode-Obeng Kyei congratulated the graduating class for completing their course.

She said, “I am so proud of this year's graduating class for their dedication to the various programmes they pursued. My humble appeal to them is to continue to invest more time, energy, and money to improve their future.”

Delivering an address as a Guest Speaker, the Executive Director at the Tourism Society of Ghana, Joseph Armah Amartey urged the graduates to be guided by their expertise and experience to think and look sharp to put the knowledge gained at the Institute to good use.

He said this is the best time for the graduates to contribute to support the country to reduce unemployment.

“The country needs a vibrant culinary industry that can absorb more graduates to rewrite the narrative. EKGS in my view has therefore proven beyond any reasonable doubt that truly products from here are doing great things with the great minds they obtained from here.

“I want to urge all the graduates, do not leave here unprepared for the world of work which includes the job market in Ghana. Remember you have the choice of applying what you have learnt here or perhaps leaving everything here and joining the bandwagon complaining of joblessness. I pray you will never join them,” Joseph Armah Amartey.

He further applauded the management of EKGS Culinary Institute for doing a great job in shaping the minds of Ghanaians both old and young who gained admission into the school.

In a short speech to accept to chair the graduation ceremony, Madam Marian Lovelace Johnson, the Director of Inspectorate at the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) told graduates that this is the best time for them to do their part to increase the revenue share of the culinary sector.

She admonished the graduates to take advantage of the many opportunities out there in the culinary industry.

“As I stand here before you today to chair your graduation ceremony, I want to tell you that indeed I prepared myself ahead of time, which is exactly what you are doing. I encourage you lovely graduates to go out there to take advantage of the numerous job opportunities available in the areas of risk communication and international food safety systems,” Madam Marian Lovelace Johnson.

Out of the many awards given to selected graduates, Bridget Otumfuo and Priscilla Johnson won awards as Overall Best Student for the 48^th batch and the Overall Best Student for the 49^th batch respectively.

The 2024 academic year of EKGS Culinary Institute will be starting in January. The institute has opened admission for interested persons to receive training in programmes such as sugar art, pastry and beverage art, cookery art, and floral art.