YEA opens portal to employ 20,000 artisans

Youth unemployment has been the bane of governments in Ghana for several years, and unemployment among the youth in Ghana has long been described as a national security threat.

It is in light of this that the YEA deems it fit to create sustainable employment for the growing unemployed youth, which has become more imperative than ever, hence the Youth in Trades and Vocation model, brick moulding and laying with BRRI, Business Support Programme, and Youth in Agric, amongst others.

This model would be run in collaboration with a multi-industry private sector player that is duly registered and licenced in Ghana under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement, all in the interest of complementing existing youth employment initiatives by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and government.

Nana Addo with YEA boss Pulse Ghana

The project this paper has gathered aims at building the capacity of unemployed and underemployed youth across the country in ten (10) relevant trades and vocations.

The model will comprehensively train and provide startup tools to a minimum of twenty thousand (20,000) youth in ten (10) relevant trades and vocations by the end of 2024 and provide quality startup tools and equipment to each of the twenty thousand (20,000) young men and women after the mandatory six-month technical training.

The beneficiaries will also be trained in entrepreneurship and business management as part of preparations towards self-employment and will be assisted in delivering quality and world-class products and services to the public.

Under the model, a huge number of the beneficiary slots will be allocated to young women to uplift the affirmative action principle to another level, while they are supported to identify entrepreneurial and business opportunities in their respective areas of specialisation within their districts and municipalities.

The trainees will also be assisted to access local and international markets for their quality products and services; this will help expose Ghana’s rich technical acumen to the world, promote tourism, and bring in foreign exchange.

According to YEA, the model is hinged on comprehensive technical training, entrepreneurship and business management, and the provision of start-up tools and equipment as avenues of self-employment for youth.

"We are interested in developing local small-scale businesses to promote commerce and job opportunities. The need to scale up informal apprenticeships under TVET as both short- and long-term measures to tackle youth unemployment.

"Provide start-up tools and equipment to all 20,000 trainees. Informal apprenticeship provides the required practical skills for sustainable employment and entrepreneurship."

YEA indicated that they will set up an online database and pool of qualified African Industrial African Solution artisans in order to push the model forward and make it successful.

The portal for registration has been opened, and interested applicants can apply on www.yea.gov.gh or apply.yea.gov.gh