Apegusu Town Development Council commences construction of GH₵3m youth resource training center

The Apegusu Town Development Council has broken grounds for the commencement of works on a youth resource training center at Apegusu in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.

The initiative is aimed at providing skills training for an estimated 50,000 youth in Apegusu and its surrounding communities to address the apparent unemployment situation and lack of opportunities among young people.

The Council is through a quadruple-tie approach, estimating a three-year completion period for the estimated GH₵3m ultra-modern project.

Chairman of the Apegusu Town Development Council, Henry Kwadjo Missah, disclosed that the approach includes a partnership with its donor partners, a build-operate, and transfer (BOT) approach, contributions from its indigenes, as well as support from state institutions.

The Council is through a 3-year development plan, hoping to raise adequate funding from its donor partners including the National Youth Authority, NGOs, the Asuogyaman District Assembly, and various other stakeholders.

Aside from its core primary role as a youth training center, the edifice when completed is expected to have other facilities such as a durbar ground, a library, an astroturf, a technical/vocational training center, an ICT lab, and a tennis court amongst others.

Underscoring the need to empower the youth, the chairman said, “Any city or town that doesn’t take care of its youth is bound to have problems in the future because they’re the next generation so you must take care of them, equip them".

Chairman for the occasion and Mankrado Of Akwamu-Apegusu, Nana Dedey Akwei II in an interview expressed confidence in the outcome of the Council’s engagements with its partners, noting that it received positive indications of their preparedness to contribute their quota towards the successful completion of the project.

Identifying unemployment as a serious concern in the area, the chief lamented, “Unemployment is a big problem here because most of the youth have completed university but remain unemployed.”

He furthered that due to the situation, drug abuse also remains high among young persons in the area. Nana Dedey called on indigenes of Apegusu both home and abroad to contribute generously towards the project.

Though soliciting for and raising the facility is expected to be completed within three years, the chief is optimistic that this could be realized within a shorter period if the needed resources are raised within a shorter period.

According to him, the center when completed would refine the livelihood empowerment skills already acquired by a section of the youth but which have not been put to use while at the same time empowering those who are deficient in any skills with the relevant skills.

“Most of the youth are empowered with one livelihood earning skill or the other but most of them have become redundant because these skills have not been put to use so we’re going to polish those skills, others don’t have the skills at all, they’re going to be trained,” said the chief.

He entreated the youth to contribute their quota towards the successful completion of the project to serve as a legacy for the entire community.

To underscore his commitment to the NYA to support the project, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Pius Enam Hadzide in his capacity donated an amount of GH₵50,000 to the youth resource training center.

He commended the chiefs and people for the initiative and the tremendous efforts being put in place to ensure that the project sees the light of day.

Underscoring the need to adequately equip the youth with employable skills, the CEO noted that- prioritizing youth development was a pivotal point towards securing the future of any society.

This, Hadzide pointed out was in line with the government’s YouStart initiative to provide financial support for young people who have acquired employable skills.

“Employable skills are very important, the government has done well by introducing the YouStart because we know the youth always need money as startup capital and Asuogyaman will also get its share. After acquiring the skills, the government will also assist with some money to start your business", he said.

He was hopeful that the training center wouldn’t only dissuade young people from yearning for quick money but would equally address issues of moral decadence such as a lack of reverence for the elderly and the disregard for traditions.

He pledged the continued support of the NYA to ensure the success of the project for the general good of the people of Asuogyaman.

He called on the people of Apegusu to embrace the project and extend a hand of support to their leaders towards its success.

The Apegusu Town Development Council is an initiative of the chiefs and elders of Apegusu to steer the developmental agenda of the community through self-initiatives to complement the efforts of the government.

It has since its inception about a year ago undertaken various interventions in the area including the provision of street lights, reconstruction of a broken-down bridge, and evacuation of a rubbish dump amongst others.

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