Mr Lo vans Owusu-Takyi, Associate Advisor to the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), has observed that building the capacity of stove manufacturers was essential to their job sustainability initiatives.
He said there were a number of artisans who have been building stoves for quite a long time, but had not yet developed their skills into enterprises.
Mr Owusu-Takyi made the observation at a four-day business development workshop in Accra, using the internationally recognized methodology, ?Competency-Based Economies Formation of Enterprises (CEFE).?
Eighteen stove builders were given practical skills to develop their enterprises.
The CEFE training was funded by SNV, as part of its Renewable Energy Capacity Building Programmes for local firms in the cook stoves industry.
Mr Owusu-Takyi said the SNV is aimed at building sustainable cook stove companies that will promote access to stoves for households and institutions in Ghana.
?Therefore there is the need to provide the artisans in the industry with knowledge and skills, for them to become viable entrepreneurs,? he said.
Mr Delali Ndo, facilitator of the programme, explained that CEFE methodology uses an action-oriented approach and experimental learning, to develop and enhance the business management and personal competencies of the participants.
?It involves a holistic set of business skills that evokes enterprising behaviuor and competence in a wide variety of situations, including record keeping, marketing and entrepreneurship skills,? he stressed.
Mr Ndo said real work scenarios were created for participants to be able to practically understand the successes and failures associated with business growth.
Mr Albert Morrison, a participant, told the Ghana News Agency that: ?As a stove builder, aiming to develop my business into a thriving enterprise, the CEFE techniques have really been beneficial to me.
?I am confident now that my capacity has been improved to manage my business sustainably,? he said.
