The World University Service of Canada (WUSC), a non-profit international organization, is targeting to train over 2000 young women in its newly introduced “So Me Mu” mentorship programme.
The programme, which is under WUSC’s Innovation in Non-Traditional Vocational Education and Skills (INVEST) project, seeks to train young women from the ages of 18 to 35 to participate in male dominated TVET with guidance of technical professionals.
The training would take place in Accra, Kumasi, and Sekondi-Takoradi, WUSC said.
Speaking at the media launch in Accra, Appiah Wiafe Adofo, Project Director of INVEST, said WUSC is keen on preparing women to occupy positions and create lucrative job opportunities for them, hence the So Me Mu programme.
“To achieve this, we cannot ignore the social and cultural norms that have given way to barriers to entry into these spaces. One of the ways to counteract expected challenges is to support these young women with enabling services,” Madam Wiafe Adofo said.
She added that having a network of professionals who have established themselves within the TVET industry would go way to influence the country’s labour market.
Madam Wiafe Adofo said some professionals in TVET and STEM would take the mentees through different sessions get them ready for the industry.
Suzanne Stump, Senior Development Officer at Global Affairs Canada, for her part, also expressed excitement, saying: “Over many decades, since Ghana’s independence in 1957, Canada has contributed to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in GhanaThis has included support for various TVET institutions throughout the country”.
She said Canada, since the adoption of its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) in 2017, highlighted gender equality and empowerment of women and youth as central to its international assistance efforts.
“Projects like INVEST, designed to challenge gender stereotypes and to complement ongoing initiatives within the TVET sector, will contribute to creating both an enabling environment and increased access to decent work opportunities for young women. In these tough economic times this is particularly encouraging.”
Madam Stump said to be innovative, there was a need to work with different partners to support women leaders as well as the country’s goals.
She commended WUSC for its efforts in projecting women in both the TVET and STEM industries.
The three months campaign is scheduled to begin September this year.
WUSC since inception has been working in over a dozen countries around the world supporting education, economic opportunities, and empowerment for the youth in various communities to create a better world for all young people.
