FHASHEE Exhibition Showcases UEW Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurial Skills

Held at the Faculty's forecourt, the exhibition featured sugarcraft creations, cake decoration, interior decoration and event planning projects produced by Level 300 and Level 400 students as part of their end-of-semester practical assessments. The event highlighted the Department's commitment to experiential learning and producing graduates equipped with industry-relevant and self-employable skills.

Addressing participants at the event, Prof. Fred Yao Gbagbo, the Dean of FHASHEE, praised the students for their outstanding creativity and innovation. He described the exhibition as a clear demonstration of the Faculty's emphasis on practical training and entrepreneurship.

He observed that the exhibits which recreated traditional and contemporary marriage settings through cake artistry and event decoration, reflected the students' ability to translate classroom knowledge into practical solutions. He urged them to continue refining their skills and embrace entrepreneurship as a pathway to national development.

Prof. Esther Yeboah Danso-Wiredu, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of UEW, commended the students and their lecturers for the quality of the practical works. She noted that the exhibition reflected the University's commitment to producing graduates who can create employment opportunities for themselves and others.

"Our students should not stay at home waiting for employment. As they submit applications, they should also begin their own businesses. The skills they have acquired here can make them successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour," she advised.

Providing an overview of the exhibition, Dr. Guy Eshun, Acting Head of the Department of Integrated Home Economics Education, explained that the exhibition formed part of practical courses in Cake Decoration and Sugarcraft as well as Interior Decoration and Event Planning.

He said the Department deliberately integrates entrepreneurial and vocational training into its curriculum to prepare graduates as job creators with competencies in food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, management in living and professional teacher education. According to him, graduates of the programme have excelled in education, nutrition, fashion, hospitality, entrepreneurship and public service.

Lecturer Ms. Getrude Bomo Asamoah explained that the Level 400 students displayed advanced sugarcraft projects inspired by Ghanaian culture and everyday life including cakes sculpted into drums, dressing mirrors, baby cots and traditional marriage themes while the Level 300 students recreated a traditional marriage ceremony to demonstrate competencies in event planning, venue decoration and interior design.

Speaking on behalf of the students, Level 400 student, Ms. Sarah Osafo Aboagye described the Sugarcraft course as challenging but rewarding. She noted that it had equipped students with practical skills for professional practice. Her colleagues, Ms. Mary Anamsaya Ntareyine and Ms. Mary Mawuli, also affirmed that the programme had provided them with marketable entrepreneurial skills. They expressed confidence that they were ready to establish their own businesses after graduation.

The exhibition reaffirmed FHASHEE's commitment to experiential learning by providing students with a platform to apply classroom knowledge, demonstrate innovation and develop entrepreneurial skills required to thrive in the modern world of work.