Sky Dream Skills Academy Holds 3rd Graduation Ceremony

Sky Dream Skills Academy, a branch of the International Youth Fellowship, has held its third graduation ceremony at Asofa, a suburb of Accra, with about 150 students completing training under its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)-affiliated programme.

The academy is dedicated to equipping young people with practical, employable skills aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and reducing unemployment. Although a large number of beneficiaries come from the Trobu and surrounding communities, the programme remains open to youth across the country.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Administrator of the Academy, Nana Kobina Idan, explained that the initiative was designed to empower young people with hands-on skills that would enable them to become self-reliant. He stressed that the academy believes every young person deserves the opportunity to discover and develop his or her potential.

According to him, the third edition of the programme initially enrolled about 380 students. However, after the Christmas break, many university students who had taken advantage of the training during their vacation returned to school, leaving about 150 participants to complete the programme and graduate.

The third edition also marked a significant expansion in course offerings. While earlier editions focused on floral decoration, fashion design, household chemicals production, graphic design, and foreign languages such as French, Korean and Chinese, the latest edition introduced several new programmes.

These new courses included makeup artistry, manicure and pedicure, barbering and hairdressing. In addition, the academy expanded its ICT training to include STEM and robotic engineering, aligning with Ghana’s growing emphasis on science and technology education.

To further support sustainability, a business development module was introduced to provide trainees with practical knowledge in entrepreneurship, record-keeping, cost management and basic accounting. Mr. Idan noted that acquiring technical skills alone was not enough without understanding how to run a business, adding that government alone could not solve the unemployment challenge. For this reason, the academy offers free weekend skills training to support the youth.

He disclosed that the programme is largely free, with students only paying a small fee for certification during graduation. The academy also provides about 70 percent of the materials needed for practical training.

Looking ahead, the fourth edition of the programme is scheduled to begin with an orientation on March 21, followed by training sessions starting on March 22. Organisers plan to introduce bead making and reintroduce foreign language classes in Korean, French and Chinese, with expectations to graduate between 250 and 300 students in the next cycle.

Some graduates shared testimonies of personal transformation. A trainee in cakes and pastries said the programme had boosted her confidence and skills, and she plans to turn the training into a side business. Another graduate from the household chemicals production course said she can now manufacture and sell products such as liquid soap and detergents.