71,500 Grab YEA Jobs

As part of measures to address the challenge of unemployment and under employment in the country, some 71,500 plus have benefited from both direct and indirect jobs created by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) as at mid-year 2023, the Agency’s Chief Executive, Kofi Baah Agyepong has announced.

He said the Agency has also paid all beneficiaries as at the end of June: “I am proud to inform you all, that as at today 23rd June, 2023, the YEA owes no beneficiary allowance. We are up to date with all payments to our cherished beneficiaries”

The Chief Executive of the YEA made the disclosure in his address last week during a ceremony at Ankaful in Cape Coast to pass out some 1,000 youth as YEA Prison Office Assistants This adds up to 1,500 Prison Office Assistants recruited this year.

Kofi Baah Agyepong said though the YEA has exceeded its target for the period and its management has resolved to work harder to facilitate the creation of thousands more of employment avenues.

“In the next few weeks, YEA will recruit 2,000 young people to be trained in Data and Financial Technology and immediately deploy them to financial institutions through our partnership with Bluespace Innovation Hub. Our conviction remains that government alone cannot employ every one of us, the private sector will continue to be an indispensable partner in job creation.

“Another set of 5,220 young men and women will be recruited to augment government’s strategic plan to mobilise revenue through property rates. We are in discussions with the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Revenue Authority and City Digital Solutions to conclude on a legal framework that will guide the employment relationship. Creating jobs requires a great deal of innovation and we are committed to doing just that”, Mr. Agyepong noted.

The CEO explained further: “I am happy to say that together with my dedicated staff, we are really on course to help President Nana Akufo-Addo to realise his vision of reducing unemployment rate drastically in Ghana.

“As at mid-year 2023, the YEA has recruited 15,000 Community Police Assistants (CPAs), 6,000 Community Health Workers (CHW), 1,500 Prison Office Assistants, 6,000 Insurance Traders with the National Insurance Commission, 4,000 farm workers in the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme, 45,000 sanitation workers and thousands of other job opportunities through our Job Centre’s partnerships with the private sector.”

He assured the newly passed outs that measures are being put in place with the Ghana Prisons Service to transition into the mainstream: “For the first time, many of you will be recruited into the mainstream Prison Service for a permanent employment. That is the exit strategy we have been desiring for you and we have worked so hard to achieve that. We have concluded discussions with the service, that all recruits with vocational and technical skills will be absorbed. This is an end to the two-year cycle that provides you with no permanent placement.”

“You know the threshold of discipline required of a person seeking to be prison officer – highest level of dedication to service and duty. You cannot be part of this group if you are not patriotic, selfless and committed to building the Ghana we all aspire to see and live in.

“As you may be aware, there are numerous young people seeking to be enrolled into the Youth Employment Programme. Being here today behoves on you an arduous responsibility to demonstrate an exemplary life worthy of a security officer”, Mr. Agyepong noted.