Hundred students who have gone through various culinary training at the EKGS Culinary Institute, have graduated in Accra.
The occasion which marked the 40th graduation and the 20thanniversary celebration of the institute, was on the theme, “Twenty Years of Empowering the Youth through Skills Training: The EKGS Experience”.
The graduates went through six months intensive training in cake making decoration with sugar arts, pastry arts, cookery arts, balloon, ribbon and floral decoration arts among others.
Speaking to dignitaries at the event, Director of EKGS, Mrs Efua Goode Obeng Kyei,appealed to government to waive taxes on the tools and equipment used in the sector.
This she explained, would make the equipment affordable for fresh graduate to set up their own culinary businesses.
Mrs Kyei said the sector was faced with high cost and proliferation of tools and equipment on the market, and that the tax waiver would also help eliminate fake tools and equipment in the culinary industry.
She called on government to make credit available and at reasonable interest rate to players in the Culinary sector to expand their business to enable them train more youth.
She said the Institute was decorated at the West Africa Magazine’s Excellence Awards as the best culinary organization.
Mrs Kyei said the Institute was also granted permission to teach the Wilton Method in the country by the U. S. industry giant, Wilton International.
She said the Institute has been featuring in cake shows in US and the United Kingdom because of its focus on quality and best practices.
Mr. Joseph Amartey, the Executive Director, Tourism Society of Ghana said the industry plays a significant role in creating job opportunities for the teeming youth.
He said the sector when harnessed effectively, would meet government agenda of ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’.
He advised the graduates to be determined and set goals for themselves to make the best in the field.
