Accra, May 7, GNA - Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, National Coordinator of National Youth Council (NYC), on Friday said the National Youth Policy, which had been on the drawing board for years, would be launched later this year. Addressing the opening session of the Ordinary General Meeting of Africa YMCA in Accra, Dr. Nkrumah said the policy had already been reviewed by Cabinet and would become the main vehicle to empower the youth. He said apart from the youth policy, there was also the need to have a law on youth development that would review operations of the Youth Council. The meeting would discuss issues of youth development and empowerment to give them a voice in society.

The eight-day meeting which began on Sunday, May 2, would also discuss ways of harmonising specific country projects, to ensure their commonality in the various countries, discuss the way forward as well as elect new executives to run its affairs for the next two years. About 150 delegates from all the 35 blocs, that constitute the African Alliance, are attending the conference under the theme: "Empowering the Youth for African Renaissance."

Dr. Nkrumah called for a radical change in skills training, saying there was the need to have specialised vocational training to which individuals with certain talents could be educated. Mr. Kwame Gyimah-Akwafo, President of Ghana YMCA, said it was time the country harnessed potentials of the youth to enhance economic development. He said investment in the youth was critical and called for a change in perception that technical and vocational education was only meant for those who were deemed academically weak. Mr. Gyimah-Akwafo said relegation of technical education had resulted in the large pool of unemployed youth and expressed the hope that this would be addressed to make vocational and technical a viable alternative to academic education.

Mr. Clifford Sileya, President of African Alliance urged the leadership of YMCA to provide the youth a platform to develop the necessary leadership skills.