More beneficiaries trained in hairdressing and dressmaking under the Trades and Vocation module of the National Youth Employment programme (NYEP) now the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneur Development Agency (GYEEDA) have been graduated in separate ceremonies in three regions.
The training was in partnership with Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme, a private company which specializes in creating job opportunities for the youth.
All beneficiaries received certificates and kits as part of the business set up process.
The Executive Director of GYEEDA, Mr. Abuga Pele in a speech read on hi behalf said in propelling the agenda for youth entrepreneurship, steps have been initiated to harness the immense benefits of Public Private Partnership towards solving the youth unemployment situation in the country.
He said several initiatives are being implemented jointly with private and non-Governmental institutions such as Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Youth Enterprises and Skills Development Center (YESDEC), RLG Communications and Asontagtaba Cottage Industries.
Mr. Pele said the World Bank had agreed to finance a programme, “Youth Enterprise Project”, which would bring together youth groups and individuals who have brilliant business ideas and proposals to be supported and mentored as they grow their businesses into sustainable ventures.
2,544 beneficiaries in dressmaking and 811 in hairdressing graduated in Central region at a ceremony attended by Deputy Attorney General Ebo Barton Oduro while in the Western region, the Sekondi-Takoradi Municipal Chief Executive, Captain (RTD) Anthony Cudjoe presented equipments to 2,034 beneficiaries in dressmaking and 1,008 for hairdressing.
The Volta Regional Minister, Henry Ford Karmel and his deputy also presented equipments to 2,449 beneficiaries in dressmaking and 1,039 beneficiaries in hairdressing at a ceremony in Ho.
The beneficiaries were advised to make good use of the equipment for sustainable ventures.
The Executive director of Asongtaba Henry Kangah said his company is currently shifting its attention from the training to ensure that all badges of trainees under the trades and vocation module are properly setup or employed.
He added that the company seeks to achieve this through a comprehensive enterprise project as well as the establishment of regional industrial production centres.
Mr. Kangah said about 10,255 hairdressing beneficiaries and 23,971 dressmaking beneficiaries with a master trainer population of about 5,200 are to be graduated nationwide before the end of December 2012, while an additional 5000 are currently under training in the Auto Mechanics project nationwide.
“Additionally, 10,000 youth will be provided real jobs under the Community Tricycle project which will commence in December 2012 nationwide” says Mr. Kangah.
Beneficiaries in seven regions have so far been graduated with three more to go including Brong-Ahafo, Upper East and Upper West regions.