Cargill and cocoa initiative graduate 111 young Ghanaians in vocational skills drive

Cargill Ghana and the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) have marked a significant milestone in youth empowerment across Ghana's cocoa-growing regions, graduating 111 young people from vocational apprenticeship programmes designed to equip them with marketable trades and pathways out of poverty.

The graduation ceremony, held in Debiso in Western North Region, represented the latest cohort to complete training in practical vocational skills including auto mechanics, carpentry, tailoring, baking, welding, dressmaking and glass fabrication. The event brought together government officials, traditional leaders, community stakeholders and development partners committed to protecting children and young people in cocoa-dependent communities.

This latest group brings the total number of beneficiaries to 171 since the programme's inception, following an initial cohort of 60 graduates who completed training in April 2025 in Sefwi Bekwai. Notably, the current graduating class comprised 75 females and 36 males, reflecting efforts to ensure gender-inclusive skills development opportunities.

All 111 graduates received starter toolkits designed to facilitate their transition from formal training into self-employment and productive work, enabling them to immediately apply their newly acquired skills to generate income for themselves and their families.

Addressing child labour through economic opportunity

The initiative forms part of broader efforts by stakeholders to combat child labour in Ghana's cocoa sector by addressing underlying economic vulnerabilities that push young people into exploitative work. According to Max Essoh Latte, Managing Director of Cargill Ghana, the company recognises that the sustainability of the cocoa industry depends directly on the wellbeing of communities where cocoa is cultivated.

By providing practical skills training and creating genuine economic opportunities within communities, the programme tackles root causes of child labour whilst enabling young people to establish independent livelihoods. Mike Arthur, Country Director for ICI, highlighted that when young people access vocational skills and employment within their local areas, they gain stronger pathways to economic independence, reducing their vulnerability to exploitative labour practices.

The intervention also aligns with government priorities. Dr. James Kofi Kutsoati, Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD in charge of Operations, confirmed that this initiative complements the Cocoa Sector Child Labour Monitoring System (CS-CLMS), Ghana's structured approach to eliminating child labour across cocoa-growing communities. He called for continued multi-stakeholder collaboration to secure both a brighter future for Ghana's children and a more resilient cocoa industry.

Why it matters for Ghana

Cocoa remains central to Ghana's economy and export earnings, yet the sector has long grappled with child labour challenges linked to poverty and limited livelihood alternatives in rural communities. This vocational initiative directly addresses that gap by equipping young people—particularly those without access to formal secondary education—with income-generating skills they can deploy immediately.

The programme demonstrates how private sector partnerships with civil society organisations can complement government efforts to achieve child labour reduction targets. For graduating beneficiaries and their families, the skills and starter tools represent tangible pathways to household economic resilience, reducing pressure on children to enter the workforce prematurely.

As Ghana seeks to strengthen its cocoa sector whilst meeting international sustainability standards and protecting vulnerable populations, initiatives of this scale signal the kind of community-level investment required to create lasting change in cocoa-dependent regions.