YEA Surpasses Target, Secures Jobs for 84,000 Youth

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has exceeded its target by 16 percent, providing employment opportunities for over 84,000 Ghanaian youth across various sectors in the first half of the year.

The Chief Executive of YEA, Kofi Baah Agyapong, highlighted that these employment opportunities encompassed both traditional and innovative modules.

Among the traditional modules were 15,000 Community Protection Assistants, 6,000 Community Health Workers, 1,500 Youth in Prison Support, and 5,000 in Entrepreneurship (Trade and Vocation) in collaboration with the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP).

Additionally, the agency revamped and expanded its Youth in Sanitation program, employing 45,000 youth. Other modules included the Artisan Directory with 500 beneficiaries and Job Centres with 11,483 youth, culminating in a total of 84,483 employed under the traditional modules.

Innovative approaches were also adopted by the YEA, such as partnering with the National Insurance Commission (NIC) to train senior high school graduates and first-degree holders for vacant positions in insurance companies.

So far, 6,000 individuals have been enrolled, and the agency has collaborated with Blue Space, an online insurance company, to train an additional 2,000 youth who will work on a commission basis.

Mr. Agyapong revealed plans for a new program called the Garment and Apparel Training and Employment Programme, which aims to create sustainable opportunities for young people interested in tailoring, dressmaking, and industrial sewing.

Trainers will receive financial support, and participants will be provided with stipends to facilitate their training.

To ensure a smooth transition for beneficiaries, the YEA has developed a comprehensive transition plan.

For those in the health sector, the agency is assisting them with admission forms and preparing them for nursing training institutions. Memoranda of understanding have been signed with the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Prisons Service, and Ghana Health Service, ensuring that beneficiaries under their schemes receive employment opportunities within these institutions.

Mr. Agyapong emphasized that the YEA models are instilling hope and support among the youth, enabling them to realize their visions and contribute to the country’s development.