Accra: Ms Constance Swaniker, Founder of Design and Technology Institute (DTI), has called on Mastercraft Persons and Artisans to commit to quality, continue their education, and contribute significantly to Ghana's socio-economic transformation. She emphasized the importance of each crafted product and delivered service as a reflection of both personal and national branding.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ms Swaniker, who also serves as the President of DTI, made her remarks at a graduation ceremony for 1200 Mastercraft Persons, Artisans, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including 58 physically challenged individuals. These graduates successfully completed training in Precision Quality at Work under the DTI/Mastercard Foundation Project Phase Two initiative. The event, themed 'Precision Quality at Work: Integrating the Informal Sector into the Larger Ghanaian Economy,' celebrated the participants by awarding certificates and recognizing outstanding performance with industrial sewing machines, hair dryers, and wheelchairs, among other prizes.
Ms Swaniker urged the graduates to adopt precision as a habit, quality as their hallmark, and integrity as their legacy. She highlighted the emergence of a new group of highly skilled, quality-focused artisans ready to redefine the informal sector's role in Ghana's economy. She noted the informal sector's vastness, employing millions and acting as the backbone of daily economic activities, including garment creation, beauty services, machinery fabrication, and essential service delivery.
Despite its size, the informal sector faces challenges such as inconsistent standards, low productivity, and limited integration into formal economic systems. The Precision Quality at Work initiative aims to address these issues by equipping artisans to compete globally, meet world-class standards, and uphold the professionalism and integrity expected of the Ghanaian identity.
With support from the Mastercard Foundation, the training provided graduates with technical skills and instilled a mindset and discipline to act as quality ambassadors in their trades. Ms Swaniker expressed DTI's belief in the informal sector's potential to drive Ghana's industrialization agenda. By integrating their businesses into the larger economy through registration, access to finance, compliance with standards, and continuous upskilling, individual enterprises are elevated, contributing to a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable economy.
The graduates also received guidance on business registration and its benefits, while Fidelity Bank advised them on maintaining proper bookkeeping to facilitate access to funds for business expansion.
