The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has launched its Garment and Apparel Training and Employment Programme in Kumasi for youth with a passion for tailoring, dressmaking and industrial sewing.
It is expected to afford the beneficiaries the opportunity to receive in-depth knowledge and hands-on training in various aspects of tailoring, dressmaking including fabric selection, cutting techniques, sewing, garment construction, pattern making and alterations.
For the garment and apparel, there would be six-month on the job training in the various skill areas per the needs of the company, leading to absorption into the work force of the companies; while the micro and small scale seamstresses and tailors would take 12 months apprenticeship programme leading to self employment.
Five hundred master craft persons have been selected to be offered GH¢10,000.00 each to expand their businesses and train three to five apprentices who would be paid GH¢500.00 by the Agency to support their apprenticeships.
Similarly, 30 big companies would also be selected and be given between GH¢100,000.00 and GH¢200,000.00 to train 10 apprentices who would be absorbed by the companies after their training.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Agency, Kofi Agyepong, told the selected companies, “we will monitor you in connection with the money given to you to do the training…we are not sharing the money, we want sustainable jobs for the youth…we can’t afford to fail the youth”.
He was worried that the Agency had not done much in the sanitation module and as such would soon review their strategy to ensure the cities, towns and markets were clean in the country.
Mr Agyepong, therefore, appealed to the government to hugely fund the sector to do more.
According to the CEO, they projected to engage 71,500 youths this year, “but as at May, this year, we have been able to engage 84,483 youth who are working in various sectors and contributing to the economy”.
He said there were other innovative ideas being brought on board and that by the close of the year, 31,600 new jobs would be created for the youths.
However, the Agency could not achieve such goals without enough money and reiterated his call on the government to increase the funds instead of reducing every year what was due the Agency.
The Minister of Employment and Labor Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, stressed the government’s determination to ensure unemployment among the youth was a thing of the past.
He urged Ghanaians to patronise locally made attires to boost the sewing industry to better the economy also.
The Chief of Staff, Frema Opare, said the government was committed to youth employment, saying there were lot of modules under the Agency to ensure sustainable livelihoods for the youth.
She was happy that the programme would ensure start-up tools for beneficiaries to be trained adding “this is very important of the YEA.”
She urged the master craft persons to do all possible to train the apprentices to churn out quality services, and urged the beneficiary youth to submit to their leaders and learn the best practices of their trades for the betterment of their own future.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI