The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, Mr. George Opare Addo, has said that the youth unemployment rate for those aged 15-24 currently, is at approximately 5.4%.
However, underemployment and those in insecure informal work are added, recent estimates place youth unemployment and underemployment as high as 38.8%, with nearly 70% of employed youth engaged in the informal sector.
Speaking at the matriculation and induction ceremony of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) beneficiaries at the Center for National Culture in Kumasi, Mr Opare Addo said, the government is doing everything possible to address the issue.
He assured Ghanaians that the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) will be implemented without political bias.
He emphasized that partisan politics has derailed many government initiatives in the past, including the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP), which lost traction due to political interference.
“We will not allow politics to ruin the NAP. This program is for every Ghanaian youth, regardless of political affiliation,” he said.
He stressed that the initiative will be rolled out fairly and transparently.
The NAP is a flagship initiative of the government under the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment, implemented by the National Youth Authority.
The core mandate of NAP is to create structured pathways for young Ghanaians to acquire competency-based, industry-relevant skills that will empower them for gainful employment and entrepreneurship.
The programme targets enrolling 10,000 beneficiaries across all 16 regions of the country, covering nine broad trade areas that respond directly to the labour market demands of the economy. These trade areas include:
1. Agriculture and Agro-processing
2. Craftsmanship and Artisanal Trades
3. Mechanical and Electrical Trades
4. Traditional Crafts, Arts, and Creative Trades
5. Fashion and Textile Trades
6. Cosmetology
7. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
8. Hospitality and Tourism
9. ICT and Emerging Digital Crafts
The beneficiaries of the programme lauded the government and promised to remain disciplined, committed, and focused until the end of their training. They also pledged to respect their Master Craft Persons and uphold the ethics of their chosen trade.
The Atwima Afranchohene, Nana Odei Nsiah Akodampa II, commended the government for the program and advised the beneficiaries not to let the government down. He urged them to take advantage of the opportunity to acquire skills and become self-employed or employed.
