The Ghana Enterprise Agency has handed over start - up kits to over one thousands, one hundred apprentices after a successful six months apprenticeship training in different skilled trades at a graduation and handing over ceremony held on Monday, 6th June, 2022 at Damongo in the Savannah regional capital.
The Municipal chief executive for the west Gonja Municipal Assembly, Hon. Musah Karim Kusubari in a welcome address expressed his gladness in participating in such a life changing programme that seeks to transform the living conditions of the youth in the west Gonja Municipality and in the savannah region.
He explained that the graduation and handing over ceremony witnessed in the savannah region reflects on one of the prominent compaign promises of President Akufo - Addo prior to the 2020 elections which was aimed at investing in skills training, apprenticeship and promoting export which is guaranteed at fostering on the future of the youth by giving them opportunities to source their livelihoods through the free TVET programme as well as support them to enroll into the various trade apprenticeship programmes.
The MCE further explained that, the Ghana Enterprise Agency and the Mastercard foundation young Africa works project has brought a lot of economic benefits to the people of the west Gonja municipality and the savannah region including job creation that is geared towards improving on the living standards of the people through the provision of apprenticeship training to the youth which saw the training of the over one thousand, one hundred skilled craft persons who were trained in different fields of trade including; Tailoring and dressmaking, hairdressing, baking, welding, Auto mechanics, carpentry, weaving among others.
He thanked the graduands for accepting to go through the six months training which qualifies them to operate as entrepreneurs and tasked them to put into practice whatever they learnt during their apprenticeship and make use of the kits given them.
The CEO of the Ghana enterprise Agency, Mrs Kosi Antwiwaa Yankey-Ayeh in her remarks explained that, youth unemployment has been a major challenge for governments across the world and Ghana is not an exception adding that young people make up 33.3% of the ghanaian population out of which 12% are unemployed.
She said, her agency's interactions with the youth has revealed that lack of capital and start - up kits for young entrepreneurs, ineffective vocational/ technical skills, inappropriate technologies, lack of access to markets, lack of access to relevant business information, business mentors among others are the main reasons stifling entrepreneurship in Ghana which have been extensively discussed with government and their partners in order to ensure that they provide some support to MSMEs in order to prepare them to start their own businesses.
According to Mrs Kosi Antwiwaa Yankey-Ayeh, the young Africa works project was conceived and launched in the year 2020 by the Ghana enterprise Agency in partnership with the Mastercard foundation with the aim of assisting 39,000 young ghanaian people to have access to dignified and fulfilling jobs by the end of the 2022 through the GEA's led innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship ( ICE ), Apprenticeship to enterneurship ( A2E ) and MSME Business Acceleration ( MBA ) initiatives out of which over 8,000 young men and women graduated after completing their vocational and technical skills training under the supervision of well honed skilled persons as a result of the ( ICE ) and ( A2E ) components of the Ghana Enterprise Agency.
She added that the Ghana Enterprise Agency has equiped over 12,000 young men and women with various technical skills, supported over 5,000 apprentices to write the NVTI examinations and provided started - up kits to over 6,000 graduate apprentices to complement governments efforts of creating jobs and wealth management for young people in the country.
The Ghana Enterprise Agency CEO congratulated the graduands and encouraged them to put their new found knowledge to use by starting businesses with the kits in order to create jobs for others.
She also commended the MDA's in the savannah region for fully supporting the initiative in their respective Assemblies and for supporting the business advisory centers throughout the projects implementation.
The Savannah regional minister, Hon. Saeed Muazu Jibriel on his part explained that the growing rate of unemployment challenge is posing serious threats to governments across the world and that, he was particularly happy with the initiative by the Ghana enterprise Agency and optimistic that the young Africa works project will open a new chapter in the lives of the graduands to enable them become self reliance and productive citizens.
The Minister further explained that, the NPP upon assuming the seat of government in 2017 realized that issues of unemployment was becoming a national canca which could cause insecurity in the country.
He added that it is therefore not out of place that the President of the republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo - Addo introduced the several pro poverty alleviation programmes aimed at ensuring that there is sanity, security and jobs for the young people in the Ghanaian society.
He said, the government through the Ghana enterprise Agency has rolled over out several interventions including the youth employment and enterprises programme that was aimed at equipping young women and men with employable skills for life.
Mr. Muazu commmended the CEO of the Ghana Enterprise Agency for designing and implementing such a live changing policy which will go a long way to transform the lives of the many trained apprentices and called on stakeholders in the region to support in the implementation of government projects and programmes in order to help eradicate poverty in the Savannah region.
Leaders from the various trained skilled trades on behalf of their colleagues expressed gratitude to the Ghana enterprise Agency and the Mastercard foundation young Africa works for the opportunity given them to expand their businesses explaining that, the money and start - up kits received will help them boost and expand their businesses and also diversified to add other businesses to their existing ones.
The event was attended by all seven MDCE's in the savannah region, the regional NPP chairman, representatives of political parties, the clergy, imams, chiefs, heads of the security services, stakeholders and heads of departments from across the region.
Kumatey Gorden
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