The Dean of the School for Development Studies (SDS) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr Emmanuel Tenkorang has lauded the implementation of the YIEDIE project in addressing the problem of youth unemployment.
He explained that, a project that had achieved so much in terms of offering hope to youth with no employable skills should not be allowed to fizzle out just because the funding component ended.
He remarked that the state had a responsibility to ensure that, the project reached another phase by releasing funds or offering support for the project with the view of equipping the numerous unemployed youth with the needed skills based on the model that has worked.
Dr Tenkorang made the commendation when a team from the YIEDIE Project met officials of the SDS to validate work done and acknowledge the immense input SDS had made in training selected TVETs in Ghana.
YIEDIE was a five-year project, which was designed to create economic opportunities in Ghana’s construction sector for economically disadvantaged youth.
It was implemented by the Global Communities with a consortium of four partners in partnership with Mastercard Foundation. From an initial target of 23,700, YIEDIE trained youth are now at 25,479 with 7,749 being female.
As part of the training, the beneficiaries, who were disadvantaged youth aged between 17-24, were trained in technical construction skills in 16 in-demand trade areas through participating in apprenticeship training, enhanced with entrepreneurship, life skills and safety and health training.
There was a second option which involved training for the beneficiaries to become entrepreneurs in the construction sector coupled with support in microenterprise start-up or growth.
Dr Tenkorang further urged the government to support in the continuation of the project due to its impact in empowering the youth to gain the requisite skills and in promoting entrepreneurship among the beneficiaries.
Due to its reach and impact, he said, the government should rather focus on the growth of the project and not focus on the replication of the same model.
In her remarks, Mrs Kafui Vera Mills-Odoi, Project Director of YIEDIE, commended the School for Development Studies for collaborating in ensuring the success of the programme.
She explained that, the project had contributed significantly in empowering the youth with employable skills to enable them to make an impact in today’s challenging world.
She reiterated the need for more collaboration between the tertiary institutions of higher learning such as SDS and implementing organisations.
She added that a critical look at the collaboration between SDS and Global Communities-YIEDIE revealed how selected TVETs were trained on development frameworks on youth engagement and employment as well as combination practice globally used.
SDS has since played major roles in collaborating with implementing organisations and agencies to support programmes that could be grounded in theories and good practice in youth workforce development.
She said, beneficiaries after their training programme were provided with start-ups either in cash or in kind to enable them to establish their own businesses.
Mrs Mills-Odoi further said the emphasis was on technical and vocational fields because they wanted to offer on-demand job training that would facilitate the nation’s transformation agenda.
Dr Kenneth S. Aikins of the School for Development Studies (SDS) in his remarks explained that, the project exceeded its target but was quick to call for more support for the sustenance of the programme.
From David O. Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast
