Mr. Andrew Ameckson, Chief Accountant at the Ministry of Finance, stated that the government’s YouStart program was intended to create 1 million jobs, with 800,000 of those being direct positions for Ghanaian youth.
He went on to say that YouStart was a national program, and that eligible applicants will be given the chance and support to contribute their fair share to the country’s progress.
He made these remarks at a public engagement on the YouStart Programme held by the Ministry of Finance’s YouStart Secretariat with a cross-section of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Accra before of its official launch.
The purpose of the stakeholder conference was to walk CSOs through the YouStart policy structure, framework, and beneficiary group requirements, as well as to solicit their support and suggestions prior to the program’s formal launch.
Mr. Ameckson also offered some facts and data about the youth population in the country and mentioned that, the overall youth population in Ghana from 15 to 35 age range was 11.7 million and the youth unemployment rate was 19.7 percent, projected to be 1,140,009.
Unemployed ladies accounted for 22.3 percent of the total, or 605,451, while unemployed males accounted for 17.4 percent, or 534,558. According to the presentation, there were 187,763 workers who had lost their employment and were looking for work.
He demonstrated that half of Ghana’s youth, estimated at 5,872,229, were categorized as underemployed, which he defined as working below one’s capacity, and that the YouStart was critical in ensuring that enough capacity building was done to get the best out of the teeming youth.
Ms. Patience Arko Boham, a Ministry official, also discussed the YouStart program’s advantages, benefits, and qualifying criteria. To qualify for the program, she explained, candidates needed a verifiable digital address, a Ghana Card, and two weeks of training.
She added that the initiative was aimed at youngsters between the ages of 18 and 40, and that following due diligence of the applications, individuals and groups would be given working capital in the amounts of GHC 50,000 and GHC 100,000 with a 4% interest rate payable over three years.
Network for Empowered Youth for Development, SEND GHANA, Ghana Chamber for Youth Entrepreneurs, STAR-Ghana Foundation, and Strategic Youth Network for Development were among the civil society organizations present at the gathering.
African Center for Economic Transformation, Centre for Community Livelihood Development, Youth Advocate Ghana, and Ghana TVET Service were among the other organizations.
The meeting was attended by members from the Ghana Association of Banks, as well as implementing organizations under the YouStart program, such as NEIP, KPMG, Legacy, and Legacy.
Link: https://3news.com/ghanas-youth-unemployment-figure-stands-at-1140009-mof-chief-accountant/
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