ICCES Instructors to be on payroll of A-G Department

Tetrefu (Ash), Dec. 21, GNA- Mr. Seth Victor Apraku-Mensah, National Director of the Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES), has announced that with effect from next year, ICCES instructors and other staff would be on the payroll of the Controller and Accountant General's Department.

The move was necessary because, ICCES which is run on government's subvention cannot negotiate for upward adjustment of salaries for its staff and workers since they are not on the Accountant-General's payroll.

He said, plans were far advanced for ICCES to establish Production Units in each of the ten regions which would be registered by the Register General's Department and supported by the Government to enable ICCES to engage in income generating ventures to raise funds towards their activities and programmes. Mr. Apraku Mensah was speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate some projects and start-up tools as well as passing out of 46 students of the Tetrefu ICCES in the Bosomtwe District. The projects included the construction of an electrical workshop and KVIP toilet facility jointly funded by the United States (US) Embassy and the Bosomtwe District Assembly at the cost of over 12,000 Ghana Cedis.

The tools, made up of 17 sewing machines and others were donated to the Centre by Stiching Gereed Gereschap, a Holland Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the cost of 7,000 Ghana Cedis. He commended the immense contributions of the U.S Embassy, the Bosomtwe District Assembly and the NGO towards the provision of facilities to enhance teaching and learning of the students at the Centre. He appealed to the graduands to come together and form co-operative societies to enable them to have access to loans from the Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) and other financial institutions to expand their businesses.

Mr Kapil Gupta of the Economic Section of the U.S. Embassy, said since 1990, the Embassy had made grants of more than one million dollars towards more than 380 projects in all regions of the country. He disclosed that the project was among 12 such ventures funded by the Embassy at the cost of 70,000 dollars in 2007. Mr. Gupta said the completion of the project is a symbol of the strong bilateral relationship between America and Ghana and hoped it would improve teaching and learning at the Centre. Mr James Fosu, the Bosomtwe District Chief Executive assured the people of the readiness of the Assembly to provide communities with classroom blocks, workshops and other facilities towards improving their living conditions.

Mr Amo Daniel, the Centre Manager said the Centre established 21 years ago had so far trained nearly 900 youth most of whom were self-employed and others working in the public sector. He said the Centre has an enrolment of about 100 and offered courses, including Electrical Installation, Carpentry and Joinery, Dressmaking and Catering. Mr Amo enumerated problems facing the Centre as inadequate classroom blocks, water, computer laboratory and means of transport and appealed to the government, the Assembly and other NGOS to come to the aid of the Centre. The graduands were later presented with certificates.