The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has opened its portal to enrol Ghanaian youth under its Artisanal Trades and Vocation Module to create a minimum of 20,000 sustainable jobs over two years.
According to a source at the agency, the aim is to address the age-old youth unemployment that had been the bane of all governments in Ghana for several years, and same had been classified in Ghana as a national security threat.
The source explained that, the YEA was embarking on the creation of sustainable employment for the growing unemployed youth through the Youth in Trades and Vocation model, Brick moulding and laying with BRRI, Business Support Programme, Youth in Agric amongst others.
It said, the model would be ran in collaboration with a multi-industry private sector player that was duly registered and licensed in Ghana, under a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
That, it said was in addition to existing youth employment initiatives by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and government.
The Ghanaian Times gathered that, the project was aimed at building the capacity of unemployed and underemployed youth across the country in 10 relevant trades and vocation.
The model will comprehensively train and provide start-up tools to a minimum of 20,000 youth in 10 relevant trades and vocations by the end of 2024, and provide quality start up tools and equipment to each of the 20,000 young men and women after the mandatory six months technical training.
The beneficiaries will also be trained in entrepreneurship and business management as part of preparations towards self-employment and be assisted in delivering quality and world-class products and services to the public.
Under the model, a huge number of the beneficiary slots will be allocated to young women to uplift the affirmative action principle to another level, whilst they are supported to identify entrepreneurial/business opportunities in their respective areas of specialisation within their districts and municipalities.
The trainees will also be assisted to access local and international markets for their quality products and services; this will help expose Ghana’s rich technical acumen to the world, promote tourism, and bring in foreign exchange.
According to YEA, the model is hinged on comprehensive technical training, entrepreneurship and business management and provision of start-up tools and equipment as avenues of self-employment for the youth.
“We are interested in developing local small-scale businesses to promote commerce and job opportunities and to scale up informal apprenticeship under TVET as both short and long-term measures to tackle youth unemployment. Provide start-up tools and equipment to all 20,000 trainees. Informal apprenticeship provides the required practical skills for sustainable employment and entrepreneurship.”
YEA indicated that they will set up an online database/pool of qualified African Industrial African Solution artisans in order to push the model forward and make it successful.
The portal for registration has been opened, and interested applicants can apply on www.yea. gov.gh OR apply.yea.gov.gh
