By Jones Anlimah
A total of 1,000 youth are expected to undergo employable training under the first phase of the Skills Towards Employability and Productivity (STEP) project.
The STEP project is tailored towards the youth in the country, with a focus on out-of-school youth. Under the programme, government through the National Youth Authority, will provide training and apprenticeship logistics and bear the cost of training and apprenticeship for beneficiaries in the country.
At the launch of the programme in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region and the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Pius Enam Hadzide, said government will continue to create an enabling environment for the development of the youth in the country.
The Skills Towards Employability and Productivity (STEP) project is a set of Artisanal Skills Training Programme tailored for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled youth, with a focus on out-of-school youth in the country. The project seeks to use a mix of technical, vocational, and apprenticeship models as well as entrepreneurial models to train youth in employable skills.
The programme has four main trade areas, including hairdressing, dressmaking, Make up/Cosmetology, and satellite dish installation.
A total of 40 beneficiary youths, consisting of 20 each from the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region and the Kadjebi District of the Oti Region, have been initiated into the programme. Each of the beneficiaries was presented with training kits to make them empowered and productive after acquiring their skills, at an estimated cost of 20,500 per assembly. Government through the National Youth Authority, will also foot their apprenticeship costs.
At separate ceremonies to usher the beneficiaries into the programme, the Municipal Chief Executive of Hohoe in the Volta Region, Noble Daniel Awume, and the District Chief Executive of Kadjebi in the Oti Region, Wilson Agbanyo, both highlighted the contributions of responsible youth towards the development of the country and urged beneficiaries of the Programme to take the opportunity presented to them to acquire the skills and training they require to safeguard their future.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Pius Enam Hadzide, said the STEP project is a testament to the commitment of President Akufo-Addo towards the development of the Ghanaian youth.
According to him, the implementation of the first phase of the project will see about 1,000 youth benefit. He urged beneficiaries, and for that matter, the youth in the country, to shun tendencies that seek to promote extremism to disrupt the peace and security in the country.
According to officials of the National Youth Authority, there are plans to expand the programme to benefit more youth in the country.