Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for people to acquire the technical skills necessary to learn a trade on the job, enter a profession and generate income. In places like Lawra, where poverty rates are high and job opportunities are low, this applies even more so.
ATE-supported small business owner Theresa with her apprentice
The recent evaluation of ATE’s small business development programme (BizATE) reconfirmed that the small business owners we have supported to kick start their businesses, have a great range of skills which they are willing to share to enable others to generate income.
Gabriel N-yoh Maanibe, one of ATE’s senior consultants outlines that whilst there are many benefits to apprenticeships, in Ghana, the standard practice for apprentices to pay a fee, purchase any equipment they may need and fund their travel presents many barriers to people in poor, rural areas taking up such opportunities.
One of the many positive outcomes from the BizATE evaluation are a number of new project ideas which we are now exploring to achieve our vision of reducing poverty through education, enterprise and social change.
Gabriel, has taken forward the idea of developing an apprenticeship scheme as part of our business development programme and carried out a feasibility report which you can download and read here: Apprenticeship Feasiblity Report (pdf).
Chief Executive, Sarah Gardner, has since taken this study as the starting point to develop a project plan, which is currently with our Trustees.
If you have experience of developing and delivering apprenticeship schemes and would like to share your insights, or would be interested in providing funding we would love to hear from you. Please email sarah@ateghana.org