Lawyer Abass Nurudeen, CEO of the Social Investment Fund and Project Coordinator for the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion (GWYESCO) programme, has outlined ambitious plans to tackle youth unemployment and vulnerability in northern Ghana through a $71 million African Development Bank facility.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement meeting in Bolgatanga, Nurudeen stressed the urgency of the initiative given Ghana’s youthful population. More than 70% of Ghanaians are under 50, with the situation more acute in the north. About 30% of the unemployed fall into the NEET category those not in employment, education or training making them particularly vulnerable to radicalisation and insurgent activities.
“The John Mahama led administration thought it wise to roll out this project to empower women and youth and mitigate the drivers of vulnerability,” he said.
The four year programme, focused on seven regions (all five northern regions plus Central and Eastern), has three core objectives: market driven skills development and job creation business growth through affordable credit and market access,and institutional strengthening for stability.
It aims to deliver 22,000 direct jobs and 6,000 indirect jobs, train 10,000 youth and women led micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), facilitate credit access for 8,000 of them, and build the capacity of seven institutions.
Market driven skills training will equip young people with employable competencies so they can become self-employed or competitive in the labour market. The Social Investment Fund will partner with the Youth Employment Agency, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), the GRATIS Foundation, the Responsible Cooperative Mining Programme, the Northern Development Authority, and financial institutions including Ghana Commercial Bank, Consolidated Bank Ghana and ARB Apex Bank.
Nurudeen emphasised that skills development remains critical because many young people currently lack the competencies needed to enter the workforce.
By Gayheart Abraham
Source: Mybluewavesonline.com|Maurice Duncan | Bolgatanga
