YEA’s first cohort of 10,000 artisans’ graduates

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has made some remarkable progress with the graduation of its first cohort of 10,000 artisans from an intensive skills training programme, as part of efforts to enhance the country’s labour market.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Valley View University, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YEA, Kofi Baah Agyepong, described the graduates as “young game changers,” ready to make a substantial impact across multiple sectors, including carpentry, beauty care, autoworks, welding, electricals and plumbing.

These newly skilled artisans represent the first batch of a broader initiative aimed at training 20,000 young professionals.

Mr. Agyepong emphasised that this programme is not merely about providing skills but about laying the foundation for sustainable livelihoods that could uplift families and communities across the nation.

Beyond the immediate economic benefits, the programme is expected to have a ripple effect on Ghana’s broader development agenda. The YEA is advocating for the inclusion of these certified artisans in major national projects, such as the ‘Agenda 111’ initiative, which aims to enhance healthcare infrastructure across the country.

By integrating these trained professionals into the government’s projects, YEA aims to ensure that investments in infrastructure also contribute to local employment and skills development.

To facilitate the integration of these artisans into the job market, YEA has launched the GhArtisan App, a platform designed to connect clients with certified professionals. This digital tool not only enhances job accessibility for the artisans but also provides a streamlined process for clients seeking reliable and skilled labor.

As the graduates embark on their careers, each armed with essential equipment and a stipend provided during their training, Mr. Agyepong urged them to leverage their skills to shape a better future for themselves and their communities.

The success of this cohort, he noted, could pave the way for a broader national movement towards skill-based employment, potentially altering the trajectory of youth unemployment in Ghana.

This initiative, with its focus on practical skill development and immediate job placement, presents a model that could be replicated across other sectors, promoting a new generation of skilled professionals capable of driving Ghana’s economic growth.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, also speaking at the programme, described the successful training of youth under the first phase of the YEA’s Skills Training Programme as concrete evidence of the government’s commitment to providing opportunities for the youth to acquire employable skills for life.

The training of these 10,000 young people, who received allowances during the peiod and have also received start-up equipment, comes on the heels of the recent training of thousands of ladies under the Kayayei Empowerment programme, as well as formal training under the Free Technical Vocational Training (FTVET) and digital training offered by facilities such as the Accra Digital Centre.

Dr Bawumia reiterated the government’s appreciation of the key role played by the youth in national development, and envisioned the creation of even more training and job opportunities under the ongoing digitalization agenda.

“Some few years ago, I was privileged to be the Guest Speaker at Legon when YEA first launched the Job Centre together with the Artisan Directory, a skill development programme designed to build the capacity of artisans and to train new ones to meet current global requirements of the artisanal industry.

“Today, I am happy to be part of this ceremony not because I was present at the birth of this Great initiative in October, 2019 but largely because of the anticipated socio- economic and cyclical impact of these new artisans to the growth and development of Ghana, the Ecowas Sub Region, Africa and the world as a whole.

“This pool of talented artisans in rows before us this morning, presents varying opportunities for us to expand and develop the sector for the growth of our nation. The artisanal industry is the oldest livelihood job in Ghana for centuries and still remains the powerful economic engine to absorb more people seeking sustainable job opportunities,” he emphasized.