Cargill Ghana, in collaboration with the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), has celebrated 111 young graduates who successfully completed various vocational apprenticeship training programs between 2023 and 2026.The graduation ceremony, held in Debiso in the Western North Region of Ghana, marked another significant milestone in efforts to provide young people with practical skills and economic opportunities.“At Cargill, we believe that the future of cocoa is closely connected to the wellbeing and prosperity of the communities where cocoa is grown,” said Max Essoh Latte, Managing Director of Cargill Ghana. “By equipping young people with practical skills and creating opportunities for them to build more sustainable livelihoods, we are addressing some of the underlying factors that can contribute to child labour while helping young people realize their potential.”The program aims to support young people who face limited opportunities for further education or skills development and provides them with practical training in various vocational trades.The goal is to support program beneficiaries to acquire skills that can enable them to establish their own business and contribute to the economic wellbeing of their families and communities.Following the program’s first graduating cohort of 60 young people in April 2025 in Sefwi Bekwai, Western North Region, this latest graduation brings the total to 171 young people have now acquired practical skills in various vocational trades, including auto mechanics, carpentry, tailoring, baking, welding, dressmaking and glass fabrication, among others.“This initiative is an example of how we can help reduce child labour and poverty in cocoa-growing communities,” noted Mike Arthur, Country Director for ICI. “When young people have access to vocational skills and opportunities within their communities, it can provide stronger pathways towards economic independence,” he said. “Initiatives such as this can contribute to reducing vulnerability to child labour, while helping young people build livelihoods, support their families and contribute positively to their communities.”The ceremony brought together representatives from Cargill Ghana, ICI, government institutions, traditional leaders, community leaders, parents, master craftspersons, development partners and other stakeholders committed to the protection and empowerment of children and young people in cocoa-growing communities.In a speech during the ceremony, Samuel Apana, Sustainability Operations Manager at Cargill Ghana, emphasized that the initiative reflects Cargill’s investment in people and communities as part of building a more resilient cocoa sector.He noted that providing young people with practical skills and opportunities can help strengthen families and communities while contributing to broader efforts to prevent child labour. He encouraged the graduates to make good use of the skills and to use their newly acquired skills to build livelihoods, create opportunities for others and contribute positively to their communities.Commenting on the event, the Deputy Chief Executive in charge of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr. James Kofi Kutsoati, noted that the intervention complements COCOBOD’s broader efforts under the Cocoa Sector Child Labour Monitoring System (CS-CLMS), which is designed to eliminate child labour in cocoa-growing communities.“Over the years, through the implementation of the Cocoa Sector Child Labour Monitoring System, COCOBOD has made significant progress in addressing this challenge. “It is in light of this progress that I call on all stakeholders to work collaboratively to eliminate child labour and secure a brighter future for our children and the cocoa industry,” he stated.As part of the initiative, all 111 graduates, comprising 75 females and 36 males, received start-up tools to support them as they begin the next chapter of their lives and put their newly acquired vocational skills into practice.The provision of the tools was intended to help the graduates transition from training into employment and entrepreneurship, enabling them to begin applying their skills to contribute to the economic wellbeing of their families and communities.International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) is a leading non-profit organization tackling child labour and forced labour in the cocoa sector in West Africa, while Cargill is committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.