<\/p>\n
He indicated that since the national service was service to the nation, it behoves them to exhibit their sense of patriotism and commitment to the socio-economic development of the country.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the media after the release of the postings of the 2022\/2023 personnel, Mr Antwi said that aside contributing to the national development growth, the postings also offered them the opportunity to put into practice the knowledge acquired in school and obtain hands-on experience.<\/p>\n
Patriotism<\/strong><\/p>\n The Executive Director also reiterated that national service was a mandatory requirement for anyone who had tertiary education and must be fulfilled with the patriotism it deserved.<\/p>\n Mr Antwi warned that those who evade the process will not be eligible to work in public institutions in the country, explaining that it was a legal requirement under the GNSS Act 426 of 1980.<\/p>\n User agencies feedback<\/strong><\/p>\n Touching on feedback from user agencies, he said the NSS’s first-ever nationwide visitation exercise had enabled the management to elicit information on the experiences of service persons and the key stakeholders to inform the deployment of personnel for the 2022\/2023 service year.<\/p>\n \u201cPer the Scheme\u2019s vision and investment opportunities, the visit had also allowed the NSS management to highlight the numerous initiatives being undertaken to enhance the welfare and employability of service persons under the Scheme\u2019s new mission of \u2018Deployment for Employment\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr Antwi said the NSS was scaling up its income-generation activities to augment the financial support given to it by the government.<\/p>\n \u201cMany national service schemes across the world have failed due to over-dependence on the central government, and we don\u2019t want that to happen here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the wake of the global economic crisis, there was the need for the NSS to reposition itself to meet the employment expectations of graduates,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Skills development<\/strong><\/p>\n Underscoring the significance of skills development, Mr Antwi stated: \u201cWe have moved the scheme from its traditional mission of \u2018mobilisation for deployment\u2019 to \u2018deployment for employment\u2019 to meet the needs of the contemporary graduate\u201d.<\/p>\n Within that context he urged the various user agencies to dedicate some of their resources to training service persons towards building their skills for the job market.<\/p>\n He advised the service personnel to use the service period as an opportunity to sharpen their skills to make them viable in the job market.<\/p>\n Mr Antwi said the service period provided a unique year-long opportunity for the personnel to learn proper corporate governance practices, which are the major skills required by most organisations in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this day, where finding jobs has become a difficult task, I urge you to take your work seriously when you begin your service.<\/p>\n Use this period to improve your competencies; learn how to start and manage your businesses, so you don\u2019t find yourself wanting after service,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He advised them to be disciplined, courteous, hardworking, and exhibit a high sense of professionalism wherever they would find themselves and ensure that \u201ctheir actions conform to the laws of this country.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n