The Government has been urged to increase its budgetary allocation for the procurement of start-up kits to enable Business Advisory Centers (BAC) in the various local Assemblies, reach out to more beneficiaries.

Mr. Michael Opoku, the Presiding Member (PM) of the Sekyere South District Assembly who made the call, said a lot of young people were still unemployed after having received artisanal apprenticeship training from master craftsmen.

He attributed the situation to lack of start-up capital and the professional guidance to assist them commence a trade to help reduce unemployment in the country.

Mr Opoku was speaking after presenting prizes to 24 seamstresses and hair dressers, who participated in a skills exhibition competition held at Bepoase in that District.

The event, which was organized by the PM was aimed at motivating the participants to value the trade they were learning and pay attention to their performance.

He underscored the need to identify all such and mobilize them for assistance, in order to tap their great potential to create employment for themselves whiles also recruiting others as apprentices for training.

Mr. Opoku who doubles as the Assembly Member for the Bepoase Electoral Area shared an amount of GH¢3,000.00 from his own resources, among the winners, as their prizes.

He also presented a welding machine he secured through the BAC, to another apprentice in the community.

The exercise, he said, was to build the confidence of the apprentices and spur them to aspire for excellence.

The PM entreated the youth who could not continue their formal education, to learn a trade and make themselves useful, and asked them to take advantage of the numerous government intervention programmes, to upgrade themselves.

Ms. Patience Asamoah Edu, Head of the BAC, entreated the youth to believe in themselves and work hard to achieve their career dreams.

She said successful graduands stood the chance of being supported by government through her outfit and counseled them not to be distracted by social vices.