Advancing Decent Work and Economic Growth Through Vocational Skills Training

Introduction

Across many cocoa-growing communities in Ghana, young people face significant challenges in transitioning from education to meaningful employment. Limited access to vocational opportunities often leaves many youths without the practical skills needed to secure sustainable livelihoods and contribute to local economic development.

Recognizing this challenge, Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union (KKFU), through the Lidl ‘Way-to-Go’ Project implemented in the Konongo and Juaso Primary Cooperative societies investing in skills development as a pathway to economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and community resilience.

This initiative aligns closely with Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8): Decent Work and Economic Growth, which seeks to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, productive employment, and decent work opportunities for all.

Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation

Under the Project, 81 young people aged 15–23 years were placed in structured apprenticeship programmes, designed to equip them with practical and marketable skills. Under the phase 1 of the graduation, 36 apprentices sat for the NVTI examination and passed successfully. This graduation ceremony is to present a set/start-up tools to establish them as they face the future. 

The programme targeted youth who had completed Junior High School (JHS) but were unable to continue their education, as well as those seeking alternative pathways to personal and economic development.

Creating opportunities for vocational training will help young people build confidence, discover their talents, and prepare them for productive futures.

 

An Industrial Sewing Machine Presented to a Seamstress by Madam Cecilia Appianim National Treasurer KKFU.

 

A Skills Training Model for Sustainable Livelihoods

The apprenticeship programme provided beneficiaries with the opportunity to learn vocational trades based on their interests, abilities, and career aspirations.

Training Areas Included:

  • Dressmaking
  • Hairdressing
  • Auto Mechanics
  • Tiling
  • Other Technical and Vocational Trades

Participants went through a three-year apprenticeship programme, receiving practical, hands-on training from experienced artisans and professionals within their chosen fields.

This model goes beyond technical instruction. It equips young people with:

  • Practical workplace experience
  • Entrepreneurial skills
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • Work discipline and professionalism
  • Financial independence pathways

By combining technical expertise with real-world exposure, the programme prepares beneficiaries to become productive members of their communities and contributors to the local economic growth.

Madam Mary Kosi NEC Member KKFU, Presents Masonry Tools to a Mason Beneficiary

 

Supporting SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Vocational skills development plays a critical role in achieving SDG 8, which focuses on promoting productive employment and decent work for all.

Through this initiative, KKFU contributes to:

1. Promoting Youth Employment

Young people acquire marketable skills that improve their employability and increase their opportunities for sustainable income generation.

2. Encouraging Entrepreneurship

Graduates of the apprenticeship programme can establish their own businesses, creating jobs and generating economic opportunities within their communities.

3. Strengthening Local Economies

Skilled artisans provide essential services that support community development and reduce reliance on external labour.

4. Building Resilient Communities

When young people have access to decent work and income opportunities, households become more economically secure and communities become more resilient to social and economic challenges.

Kuapa Kokoo National Executive Council, Management, Chiefs, the Zonal Members.

 

Investing in People, Investing in the Future

The future of Ghana's cocoa-growing communities depends not only on agricultural productivity but also on the ability of young people to access opportunities that allow them to thrive.

Through the Apprenticeship Programme, KKFU is demonstrating that investing in skills development is an investment in people, communities, and sustainable economic growth.

As these young apprentices continue their working journey, they are building more than technical expertise—they are laying the foundation for independent livelihoods, stronger local economies, and a more prosperous future for their communities.

By empowering youth with practical skills today, KKFU is helping create a generation of confident, skilled, and enterprising young people who will contribute to the long-term development of Ghana's cocoa sector and beyond.

Group Picture of the Beneficiaries and Their Masters

Environment & Extension Manager/Manager for Lidl

 Way to Go Project, Mr. Frank Okyere (KKFU) Presents Sewing Machine to a Seamstress.

Mr. Solomon Boateng, Executive Secretary(KKFU) Presents Tilling Tools to a Beneficiary

Mr. Evans Opoku-Mensah, Social Compliance Manager(KKFU) Presents a Sewing Machine to a Beneficiary.

Mr. Adams Alhassan (NEC Member KKFU) Presents Tilling Tools to a Beneficiary.

Painting Tools Presented to a Beneficiary by Mr.Samuel Yeboah (Assistant National Treasurer KKFU)

 

“When young people are equipped with skills, they gain more than a trade—they gain the confidence, opportunity, and dignity needed to build a better future for themselves and their communities.”

— Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union