About 3,629 beneficiaries have acquired knowledge in dressmaking and hairdressing as part of the trade and vocation module of the Ghana Youth Employment Development Agency (GYEEDA).

Mr. Henry Kangah, Executive Director, Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme (ACI&EP), said the youth have been identified by government as a resource-base with a huge potential to contribute significantly to economic development of the country.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the beneficiaries, he said tapping into the potentials of the youth to contribute to national development can be realised through a well-defined public-private partnership (PPP), which has been exemplified in the relationship between GYEEDA and ACI&EP; saying creating jobs and opportunities for the youth of the country is therefore the priority of the partnership.

“The role of Asongtaba is to facilitate and oversee the training of beneficiary youth in various vocations, with the overall goal of making them economically independent and socially productive.

“For the training period, particularly the dressmaking project has been extended to one year due to the volume of training modules to be covered. The extension is meant to allow beneficiaries grasp very well the essentials of dressmaking before venturing into the world of work,” he said.

In a speech read on his behalf, the National Coordinator of GYEEDA said the beneficiaries who are graduating, apart from been equipped with important skills, will also be set up in sustainable business units to provide direct and auxiliary employment avenues for the youth who find themselves with skills and interest.

In addition, he said in propelling the agenda of youth entrepreneurship, steps have been initiated to harness the immense benefits of PPP toward resolving the youth employment situation in the country.

He said the World Bank has agreed to finance the youth enterprise project, which according to him will bring together youth groups who have brilliant business ideas and proposals to be supported in starting and growing their businesses into sustainable ventures.