Takoradi, Feb 28, GNA – A total of 729 individuals under the Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Initiative of the European Union funded, Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) Project have graduated.
The graduation formed part of the close-out of the project implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation in Ghana in partnership with the Ghana TVET Service in the Western Region.
The GrEEn project, collaborated with Ghana TVET Service in May 2022 to roll out tailor-made TVET Certificate courses in six trade areas: Solar Panel Installation, Biodigester Construction, Cosmetology, Garment making, Beads and Soap making under its Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme.
The graduands acquired the National Proficiency Level I Certification.
The Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship programme implemented in the Ashanti and Western Regions over the past four years had supported more than 2,000 youth, women, and returning migrants through skills training to promote employment to contribute to Ghana’s local economy.
The certification and close-out ceremony gave official recognition to the recipients as having requisite skills, knowledge, values and meeting the required standards of a selected trade area based on National Proficiency Level.
Ms. Barbara White Nkoala, Country Director of SNV Ghana, in an address, explained that “SNV Netherlands Development Organisation is a development partner with one of the most adaptive and integrative approach to systems transformation, accelerating climate action, fostering gender equality and social inclusion, and transforming vita sectors-agri-food, energy and water- to build a sustainable and just future for all.”
She added that SNV placed youth employment and enterprise at the core of her work and had youth employment with such entrepreneurship programmes implemented in more than 10 countries in Africa.
The Project, she said, aimed to complement the efforts of the European Green Deal by unlocking Africa’s potential towards a green and circular economy.
She said the YEE initiative of the Project aimed at improving employability and entrepreneurship capabilities of youth, women, and returnees in sectors of economic opportunities, for the benefit of Ghana’s green and climate resilient local economy.
Ms. Nkoala mentioned that one of the key tools SNV had adopted in achieving this objective over the years was the market-led framework approach that enabled scaling and enhancing sustainability of programmes through partnerships.
SNV in Ghana worked with institutional and skills training partners to improve the employability and entrepreneurship capacities of youth, women, and returning migrants in the agri-food, energy, and water sectors in 10 Municipal District Assemblies in both the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana.
She noted that under YEE, youth service recipients received three months Basic and advanced skills training as well as two weeks to two months internship and on-the-job entrepreneurship training.
Through these trainings, over 3,500 youth, women and returning migrants in the two Regions of implementation had developed self-employment opportunities.
The GrEEn Project, she said, also organised Business Plan Competitions and awarded GH¢1,814,791 in grant to 72 business owners in 2021 and 2022 to contribute to their growth in their chosen fields.
The SNV rolled out 14 job fairs at the District and Regional levels, matching skills to opportunities in the green and circular economy by linking youth job seekers to employers.
She expressed appreciation to all the partners for their unwavering commitment to the Project and to the service recipients for an amazing partnership to promote employment for sustainable development for a bright and green future.
