King Welentsi III Foundation trains youth in vocational skills

The King Welentsi III Foundation, established by the Nungua Mantse, Oboade Notse Prof. King Odaifio Welentsi III, has graduated 10 young people who have undergone three years of training in fashion and design as part of efforts to equip the youth with employable skills.

The initiative, which forms part of the Foundation’s youth empowerment programme, seeks to provide young people in Nungua and its environs with practical vocational and technological skills to enhance their employability, promote self-reliance and help address unemployment.

The programme was launched in 2023, with the first batch targeted at young people who are natives of the Nungua Traditional Area.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the graduation ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the King Welentsi III Foundation, Mr. Eric Bortey, said more than 50 people expressed interest in the programme, but 11 were eventually selected after a rigorous screening process.

He explained that the selection was based largely on the applicants’ commitment, background and willingness to undergo the training.

“Over the past three years, we have supported them by providing machines, paying their tuition fees and monitoring their progress at their various training centres,” Mr. Bortey said.

According to him, the Foundation also linked the beneficiaries with established practitioners in the fashion and designing industry to provide them with practical experience and mentorship.

He said although 11 beneficiaries were initially selected, 10 successfully completed the programme, with one unable to finish the training.

Selection process
Mr. Bortey said applicants went through several stages of screening before they were selected.

He said the first batch was reserved for natives of Nungua, although the Foundation had now decided to make the programme more inclusive by allowing non-natives to benefit from future batches.

He explained that prospective beneficiaries would be required to respond to advertisements, obtain application forms from the Paramount Chief’s office and undergo further assessment.

The Foundation, he said, also engaged the parents or guardians of applicants to ascertain their backgrounds and level of parental guidance.

Applicants’ educational backgrounds and commitment were also assessed, while trainers were consulted to determine whether the prospective beneficiaries demonstrated the seriousness required to complete the programme.

Mr. Bortey said the process was designed to ensure that the Foundation’s resources went to young people who were genuinely committed to acquiring skills and building sustainable livelihoods.

Foundation expects beneficiaries to become trainers

Mr. Bortey expressed confidence that the beneficiaries would use the skills acquired to establish themselves as professionals and eventually contribute to the development of other young people.

He said the Foundation expected the graduates to become successful masters in their respective fields and, in the future, support the Foundation by training other beneficiaries.

“If they become proper masters in two or three years, we can give some of the new students to them for training,” he said.

He urged young people who were serious about acquiring vocational skills to take advantage of opportunities offered by the Foundation.

NDC chairman urges youth to remain focused

The Krowor Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Benjamin Danso, who also addressed the graduates, urged them to remain focused on the skills they had acquired.

He said acquiring a skill was only the beginning and that success would depend largely on the beneficiaries’ commitment, discipline and continuous improvement.

“Once they have been set on the path to greatness, what they need mostly is to focus on what they have been set on and make sure they improve on whatever endeavour they have taken,” he said.

Hon. Danso said with determination and focus, the graduates could overcome challenges and make meaningful progress in their chosen careers.

He encouraged them not to allow setbacks to discourage them, stressing that dedication to their craft would open opportunities for them and contribute to reducing unemployment among the youth.

The graduation ceremony marked another milestone in the Foundation’s efforts to empower young people with practical skills and create opportunities for them to become economically independent.