Mr. Kofi Baah Agyepong, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), has revealed that the Akufo Addo led government is very sensitive to the plight of Ghanaians in the face of the country’s economic challenges.
According to Mr. Agyepong, President Akufo Addo is determined to reduce the pressure and burden on Ghanaians through the further creation of jobs, skills acquisitions and entrepreneurial development of the youth.
The CEO opined that, this is evident in the creation of over 17,000 jobs over the last four months by the Agency through its Community Heath Worker Programme (CHWS), Prisons Office Assistants, Community Protection Assistants (CPAs), the YEA Jobcentre and partnerships with the private sector.
Mr. Baah Agyepong made this known when he was addressing a passing-out parade of 1,064 of the second batch of CPAs Beneficiaries drawn from the Bono, Ashanti, Bono East, Ahafo and Western North regions. This represented 5400 persons who were concurrently graduating at the various Police Training Schools in the country.
According to him, “ President Akufo Addo has reiterated the economic hardship Ghana and the rest of the world is going through and has thus charged YEA and other MDAs to refocus on creating employment and improving conditions of service for employees.”
“The Agency has already created over 17,000 jobs since my assumption as CEO and I am poised to create thousands more jobs before the end of 2023. Apart from rolling out the traditional modules, allowances of beneficiaries have now been increased to ¢500.”
Mr Agyepong
In the words of the Chief Exceutive Officer of YEA, “There is also a deepened partnership with the diplomatic community and private sector to create more private sector-led jobs.”
Mr Baah Agyepong to a greater extent divulged that, YEA’s new agenda also creates a platform for people in the technical and artisan sectors with an oncoming partnership with NEIP, NVTI, GEA etc.
To the beneficiaries under the Community Protection Assistants module, the CEO advised them “not to compromise on their professional integrity in the course of discharging their duties in the communities.”
Mr. Kofi Agyepong indicated that, “the Agency would not hesitate to endorse sanctions to weed out any CPA personnel by the GPS for infractions in the rules of their engagement.” He explained further that such caution was against the background of assurance by the GPS to sign an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Agency to give consideration and priority to CPA personnel in future recruitment into the mainstream service.
The CEO emphasized that, the Agency had taken the necessary steps to clear all outstanding arrears owed to beneficiaries to disburse their minds of engaging in crime.
Signing Of MoU With INZAG Germany GmBH To Recruit 800 skilled artisans
Meanwhile, It will be recalled that the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in November 2022, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with INZAG Germany GmBH, a German Construction firm, for the recruitment of about 800 youth for the construction of the Eastern Corridor roads from Ashaiman roundabout to Akosombo Junction.
This followed remarks by the Chief Executive Officer of YEA at a Job Fair to pursue skills training, acquisition and development to create sustainable jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
At a brief signing ceremony held at the head office of the YEA in Accra on Tuesday November 29, 2022, Mr Kofi Baah Agyepong, noted that the agency exists to create enabling environment for the unemployed youth to land jobs and skills acquisition and remains a key ingredient in the quest of the youth to achieve their dream jobs.
Mr. Baah Agyepong lamented that artisans’ work in Ghana had been taken over by artisans from neighbouring countries because the Ghanaian artisans lack the requisite skill set sought after by employing firms who need some particular skills to boost their production.
Mr. Agyepong disclosed that the agency has taken up the challenge to change the narrative through partnerships to help train more of the youth to acquire the requisite skills set for masonry, plumbing, tiling, steel bending, carpentry and P. O. P. Designing etc, to meet the needs of the emerging job markets that offer sustainable and decent jobs for the youth.
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