USAID to facilitate youth internship in Agric

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February 26, 2016 1:15 PM

It also seeks to sharpen the skills of young people to fit into industry while at the same time hone the skills of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) to become productive, profitable and competitive.

Youth in Agric

Ghanaian youth will get the chance to intern in various Agricultural endeavors in the Agricultural sector under the United States Agency for International Development( USAID) in patnership with Africa Lead.

The Internship Partnership Network dubbed Entrepreneurship for Opportunity Actualization (EOpAct) would build entrepreneurial and vocational skills among young people to take advantage of the Agricultural opportunities presented.

EOpAct is a purely hands-on industry related programme targeting the agricultural and agribusiness value chains specifically horticulture, livestock and grains sector.

It is also expected to bridge the gap between industry and academic graduates.

Mr Dan Acquaye, Executive Director for ASNAPP, said at the launch of the EOpAct in Accra that about 30 per cent of Africa’s gross domestic product comes from Agriculture and 70 per cent of the entire African population depends on Agriculture for their livelihood.

He said Agriculture accounts for 40 per cent of Africa’s foreign exchange, and investments in African Agriculture has four times economic impact than investments in any other sector.

Mr Acquaye said Africa has the youngest population in the world and 10 to 12 million youth are added every year while over 40 per cent are under the ages of 15 and 20.

However, he noted that the youth accounts for 60 per cent of Africa’s unemployed, causing about 70 per cent of them to live on less than two dollars a day.

He disclosed that the programme is not limited to students, SMEs, or graduates with agriculture background but also opened to those with other career or academic backgrounds.

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