GCTU Empowers Students With Creative Skills
The Career Development Unit of the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, in collaboration with the SRC has organized a two-day Skills Development Training programme in Bead and Liquid Soap making for students from 18th to 19th June 2024 at the Forecourt, main campus.
The event aimed at offering students hands-on experience and gaining valuable skills that can be used in their daily lives or as a foundation for a new career path.
A level 300 IT student and Resource Person Ms. Ellen Appiah, took participants through “Bead-making” on day one. She explained bead making as the art or craft of attaching beads by stringing them on a thread. She added that beads are produced in a varied array of shapes and sizes and are differentiated by the type of art/design produced.
Ms. Appiah highlighted some specific bead-making processes, namely, choosing the right materials (such as glass, metal, clay, wood or plastic and creating a design concept, including (shape, size and colour). She provided insights into bead-making techniques, namely, hand-shaping, machine-shaping, molding, casting, carving, drilling, sanding and polishing.
The second day’s training focused on “Liquid soap making”. Ms Appiah shed light on steps involved in liquid soap making, namely, how to measure ingredients, how to get accurate measurements, how to differentiate between thickener, booster and preservative powders, how to stir when making a liquid soap, packaging and preservation.
She elaborated that liquid soap-making can be a complex process therefore, it is important to follow safety guidelines and use protective equipment when working with lye.
Ms. Appiah noted that if one is new to liquid soap-making, it is recommended to start with a simple technique and seek guidance from an experienced person.
