The Member of Parliament for Keta, Kwame Dzidzorli Gakpey, has raised concerns about the shortage of skilled artisans in his constituency, claiming that employers are increasingly forced to rely on workers from neighbouring Togo to meet their labour needs.
He attributed the situation partly to the reluctance of young people to pursue technical and vocational education and training (TVET), despite the demand for skilled workers.
According to the MP, the shortage has created a situation where opportunities exist for trained artisans but there are not enough skilled local workers to fill them.
Speaking on the sidelines of a health walk ahead of the 2026 edition of the Hogbetsotso festival, Gakpey illustrated the problem by recounting an instance when he was given a quota to recruit about 100 young people into TVET programmes that would lead to guaranteed employment abroad.
However, he said only five people expressed interest despite efforts to convince more young people to take up the opportunity.
The MP also observed that women were generally more willing to take advantage of technical and vocational training opportunities, while their male counterparts showed less interest.
He argued that the reluctance to embrace available opportunities extended beyond vocational training, citing other instances where efforts to secure benefits for his constituents had yielded little interest.
Gakpey revealed that he had also been given a quota to facilitate free travel for constituents undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca but struggled to find people willing to take up the opportunity.
He further lamented that young people in the constituency were not taking sufficient advantage of GETFund scholarship opportunities, which he said were open to Ghanaians.
The MP urged young people to change their attitudes towards technical and vocational education, stressing that acquiring practical skills was an important route to employment and self-sufficiency.
