The event was on the theme ‘Supporting U-Start: Building and empowering entrepreneurs.’

Candidates, who successfully sat for CEWP examination in May 2022, are now permitted by law, to undertake electrical wiring and installations for domestic and commercial entities while others also received packages, licences, and stamps, to work as certified electrical wiring professionals and inspectors.

Key objectives of the CEWP certificate examination is to increase professionalism in the work of electrical contractors and also reduce the spate of fires that are caused by electrical faults.

Essikado Omanhen, Nana Kobina Nketsiah V, who chaired the event, said the Energy Commission was “one of the most important organisations in the governance in our life in this country.”

Applauding the 17th graduation ceremony, Nana Nketsiah recalled his experiences with great railways workers, who worked at the fabrication centre, the biggest training school for many people, called location, at Essikado.

He said, most trade masters were trained through the railways, and included artisans, and it was they, who worked on the ships, the Black Star Line, training the engineers and electrical engineers corps of Ghana.

Nana Nketsiah continued “We built Job 600, now converted into the Parliament House. It was Africans, people like you, who built it without going for any expatriate help, and all the electrical jobs were done by you. Today, we even import materials, but, if you import rubbish, you will get a problem in the future because you’re going to build rubbish.”

Speaking on the theme, Head, Ministry of Trade and Industry in the Western Region, Mr Isaac Yankson, said the ceremony sought to empower the youth in electrical installation and also find innovative ways to create job opportunities for the  graduates.

He added that, the Ministry of Energy, the Energy Commission and partners, need to work with the regulatory standards to create a pool of jobs based on laid out procedures, to satisfy the customer and create opportunities, even beyond the borders of the Ghana enterprises.

“For our youth to access funding to build on the initiated ideas, innovative and innovative capabilities, it will be prudent for the Energy Commission to partner the Ghana enterprise to make it a rule using electrical installations to access funds to start their jobs after completion of the education,” he said.

Manager, Electricity and Natural gas Directorate, Anthony Bleboo, said, the Commission began the enactments of the Electrical Wire Regulations LI 2008, in 2011, with the primary objective to ensure safety of life and property in the use of electricity.

He mentioned that, for the past nine years, the commission, with the Wiring Secretariat, had enforced the regulation.

Again, Mr Bleboo said, the commission had successfully reviewed and launched a revised edition of the Electrical Wiring Certification examination syllabus, the wiring guidelines and framework for registration of electrical contractors.

Noting that United State Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the training and certification of electricians in rural north, the Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, urged other corporate bodies operating in the region, to also do same “to support our sons and daughters who are yet to be certified.”

He also urged Ghanaians to patronise only electricians certified by the Energy Commission adding that he would inform all District Assemblies to also engage certified electricians for all government projects including the SHEP Meter Distribution.