By Michael Kofi Kenetey
President of the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA), Akim Oda Branch in the Birim Central Municipality of the Eastern Region, Janet Akyirem has advised the youth interested in handicrafts to learn their trade from professionally recognised artisans and desist from going for apprenticeship from wayside operators.
In an exclusive interview with GBC’s Michael Kenetey, Mrs. Akyirem mentioned that professional artisans go through special programmes related to their trade and in the end receive a recognised certificated training that can take them to places.
She said apprentices should not consider the low amount charged by wayside operators, but rather the issuance of National Vocational Training Institute, NVTI Certificate that they will get after graduating from a trade from a professional artisan because such Certificates will be relevant when seeking for jobs.
Mrs. Akyirem urged the trainers who are not yet part of GHABA to join in order to get access to new skills and the NVTI Certificate. She explained that the Certificate acts as an avenue to assist them to be spotted in the flooded job market. Mrs. Akyirem advised apprentices to be respectful to their masters and mistresses.
Mrs. Akyirem speaking about the lifestyle of some youth in the trades cautioned against indecent dressing to protect the image of the hairdressing and the beauty trade. She advised the youth who crave quick money and get rich quick to desist from such acts and seek a more righteous way of getting rich.
The Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association was formed in 1972 with the main objective of bringing the hairdressing industry in Ghana to an international standard.
