Young entrepreneurs equipped with business plans

A total of 30 young entrepreneurs from three municipal and district assemblies in the Northern Region on Wednesday received training on developing strategic and marketable business plans.

The participants were drawn from Tamale Metropolis, Savelugu/Nanton Municipality and Tolon-Kumbungu District.

Mr Mohammed Alhassan, Zonal Coordinator of the Graduate Business Support Scheme said at the two- day workshop organised by Youth Empowerment for Life in Tamale, that only one out of 10 youth in Tamale has sustainable employment while three out of 10 are engaged in unsustainable employment.

“Even the three per cent engaged are hanging on the private work of either relatives or family friends and they are not receiving salaries,” he noted.

Mr Alhassan said the challenge of unemployment could be addressed if the youth change their attitudes and perception about work.

He challenged the participants to critically think and develop innovative ideas, which could address daily challenges in the country.

He said a business plan should be systematic and strategically developed to be financially viable.

“A good business plan is the one that can spark investor interest and be able to help an individual to achieve the set goals,” he explained.

Mrs Florence Boateng, an Official of the Youth Empowerment for Life, explained that the training which was the third in the series are in two folds, one for educated entrepreneurs and the other for uneducated entrepreneurs.

She said the group had been taken through entrepreneurial subjects, including traits and tips of successful entrepreneur, festival of ideas and hands on experience in developing an idea.

Mrs Boateng said after the training five best business plans of participants would be selected and given a start capita.

She said their success story would be used as a module to engage government and other stakeholders.

Source: GNA