40 Wood workers undergo ICT training

 A six-week training workshop on information and communication technology (ICT) has been held for 40 members of the Wood Cluster Initiative in Kumasi and its environs.

The participants were taken through lessons in the various microsoft programmes, how to use Auto CAD to design furniture, internet usage and e-commerce among other topics.

The Wood Cluster Initiative is a collection of small and medium scale furniture and wood working firms in and around Kumasi.

The training, sponsored by the Council of Technical Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), was aimed at developing and enhancing the growth of the member companies through innovation and capacity building in order to make them more efficient.

A functional workshop website for the members under the cluster was developed where information on the various members and their products will be  posted.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Mankrado of Tutu-Akwapim, Nana Ohene Wumtumi II, who was the chairman of the function commended COTVET for recognising the need to upgrade the skills of the artisans on ICT training to enhance their operations.

He challenged the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to consider giving contracts relating to wood works to the wood artisans in their various districts to create jobs for the carpenters and other artisans.

This, according to him, would help reduce poverty in the various districts.

Nana Wumtumi II who is also a member of the Forestry Commission said with the current competitive nature of the global market, there was the need for businesses to be able to network with the appropriate people or stakeholders who could help in the development or marketing of their products 

He expressed the hope that the participants would be able to make good use of the new skills they had acquired to make them more efficient and more competitive to eliminate the cheap Chinese wood products from the Ghanaian market.

“Take advantage of the new skills to enhance your designing and construction skills to produce the best of products to beat your competitors in the market”. He said.

The participants were presented with certificates, 20 laptops and 20 desktop computers to enhance their operations at their various institutions.

Each of the computers was installed with Auto CAD and other software’s to facilitate their operations in the designing of furniture and other wood products.