DCE cautions youth against “quick money” syndrome
Youth across the country have been advised to take advantage of the trades and vocation modules of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to acquire life-long skills rather than chase “quick money” which could in the end destroy their future.
Mr. Ameen Salifu, Wa East District Chief Executive (DCE) gave the advice at the weekend when he presented sewing machines to 48 graduates of the dressmaking and tailoring module of the NYEP at Bulenga in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region.
He said the machines which were given to the beneficiaries for free were to serve as a means to encourage others to enroll onto the programme to acquire skills that would help them establish themselves.
Mr Salifu said government was committed to empowering the youth through the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) and the Youth Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (YESDEP) which were already operational in the District.
He said others such as the Rural Transportation module of the NYEP and the Rural Enterprises Project would be operational in the District by January next year and urged the youth to start preparing their minds towards it.
The DCE stated that as part of the government’s resolve to tackle poverty comprehensively, a project known as the Ghana Social Opportunities Project would soon be introduced.
Supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the project would receive a total cash injection of 185 million dollars for a period of eight years.
District Assemblies and their communities would be supported to implement interventions that would solve the social and economic problems of the people and ensure that the youth, especially those in the three Northern Regions, did not idle about at the end of the single rainy season in the North.
Mr. Bawa Walma Nuhu, District NYEP Coordinator said a total of 832 youth were currently engaged under the various modules of the NYEP.
He said the breakdown included Dressmaking, 240; Water and Sanitation, 180; Community Education Teacher Association 174; Health Extension Workers 109; Hair Dressing 100; Paid Internship 18; Community Protection Association eight; while Prison Protection Association has three.
Mr. Roland Aputiik, Regional Coordinator, Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme thanked the government for supporting the youth to acquire self employable skills.
Source: GNA