The 18 made up of 10 beneficiaries from Tema Manhean and eight from Kpone forms part of 73 young people who have received the tools from the programme this year nation wide.

The tools included a set of equipment and tools for catering, auto mechanic engineering, woodwork, joinery and carpentry as well as building and construction.

Mrs Harriet Wereko-Brobbey, General Manager Corporate Affairs of WAPCo, handing over the tools to the beneficiaries said five years ago, her outfit introduced a programme to support brilliant but needy students to obtain secondary education with emphasis on vocational and technical training under which the beneficiaries acquired vital vocational skills for life.

Mrs Wereko-Brobbey added that after conducting a study to assess the needs of the communities WAPCo operated in, her outfit in the year 2012, introduced its Livelihood Support Programme with two components namely, Scholarship Scheme and Community Youth Enterprise Scheme.

“WAPCo’s Community Youth Enterprise Scheme, provides young persons in our host community who have completed basic education but cannot pursue further studies due to financial constraints the opportunity to learn a trade of their choice in recognized vocational and technical institutions in Ghana, ”she noted.

The Company had so far supported 301 students out of which 108 were beneficiaries of the Community Youth Enterprise Scheme.She indicated that WAPCo from the onset promised beneficiaries that upon a successful graduation, the Company would equip them with tools to enable them set up their own businesses.

Mrs Wereko-Brobbey gave the assurance that to enable the graduates to manage their businesses in a sustainable manner, WAPCo would engage the services of professionals to  train in the principles of business management.

She congratulated the beneficiaries and encouraged them to be the light in their communities and support others to learn what they have been taught.Nii Adjei Kraku II, Paramount Chief of Tema and Nii Tetteh Otu II, Paramount Chief of Kpone, thanked WAPCo for training the youth and urged beneficiaries to make good use of the tools.

They also cautioned them against selling the tools but rather establish themselves with it and make a living for themselves and their families.