Fishers must wake up to the approaching reality of ban on fishing and its challenges to seek demand driven skills as alternative and sustainable livelihood.
Ban on fishing, though intended to recover the country’s over exploited depleted fish stocks, must as well inform fisher-folks on the increasing concern about the sustainability of livelihoods knowing that fishing alone was not enough to take care of their families.
Mr. Samuel Quashie Amegbor, Principal of the Biriwa Technical Institute (BTI), said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.
He said Ghana, like many developing countries, had its fishing communities riddled with poverty due to lack of alternative livelihood and particularly because of the dramatic decline of volumes of fish on expeditions.
Mr. Amegbor indicated that an alternative livelihood training programme was required for fishers to generate income outside their trade.
“Not just any kind of education, but Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) may be more appropriate in this regard and BTI is a recommended teaching centre “he advised.
He said TVET involved generic training, and the acquisition of practical skills in a specific trade of choice, and soft skills for community and National development.
He added that TVET would equip fishers with technical and professional skills for socio-economic development with emphasis on self-employment.
On what BTI offers, the principal said they had short programmes for job seekers and workers ranging from two weeks to six months.
“You could be a master of brickworks, tiling, electrical wiring, basic roofing and ceiling works, bead works, pastries making, cabinetry works, and electrical accessories repairs and a host of others.
We are blessed with state- of-the-art equipment and building facilities as well as professional facilitators and urged all who wish to learn a trade to enroll at their convenience with no age limit and their livelihood was assured.
To parents, he advised that they encourage their wards to pick up technical and vocational courses especially as such institutions run free TVET in all mainstream programmes as part of the Government’s effort to make education accessible to all.
By Nana Oye Gyimah, GNA
