Take advantage of opportunities in informal sector - First lady tells hairdressers, beauticians

The First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, has called on young women to take advantage of opportunities that abound and strategically position themselves in the informal sector to create a brighter future.

Speaking at the 12th graduation ceremony of the Greater Accra regional branch of the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA) in Accra Tuesday, she said the fashion world was dynamic and kept changing at a fast rate and as hairdressers and beauticians there was the need to periodically upgrade their knowledge in order to be abreast of modern trends of fashion.

“In all you do think about delivering quality and all other things will follow,” she said.

She said the government was doing a lot to support skills training through grants and other incentives.

Patronise local products

Mrs Mahama further urged GHABA members to patronise quality local products to give meaning to the national campaign for the patronage of Made-in-Ghana goods.

She stated that a pilot solar-energy project being undertaken by the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) was making a positive impact on the activities of some hairdressers and barbers.

“I’m informed that this pilot project has been effective and many hairdressers and barbers included in the project are running on solar,” she said.

Lordina Foundation

Mrs Mahama updated the audience on the various initiatives the Lordina Foundation continued to undertake to better the lives of the underprivileged and said beauticians and hairdressers had not been left out of the programmes and projects.

She presented 30 standing hairdriers, 10 hand dryers, 20 sterilisers for barbers and other tools to the Greater Accra regional branch of GHABA for distribution to its members.

Skills training

The President of Greater Accra Regional GHABA, Ms Tina Offei Yirenkyi, said the skills training provided by GHABA was aimed at making trainees to come out fully prepared to meet the demands of their profession.

The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Haruna Iddrissu, announced that next year, the government would allocate an additional GH¢10 million under the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), which would cover various skills training,  including hairdressing etc.

Graduands

The Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries, Ms Joyce Aryee, who chaired the ceremony, commended the young women for successfully going through their training and urged them to become true professionals.