He said there were many opportunities the NYA was creating for the development of young people, in order for them to become more productive and actively participate in the socio-economic development processes of Ghana.

Mr Hadzide was speaking at the commencement of the Skills Toward Employment and Productivity (STEP) programme at Sege in the Ada West District of the Greater Accra Region last Friday.

The STEP focuses on providing young people with artisanal trade and vocational skills to equip them to gain employment and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities, in response to reducing the rising youth unemployment challenge.

Under the project, 28 young persons in the district have been selected to be trained in various trade areas.

The training, which is funded by the government, will cover trade areas such as hairdressing, tailoring and dress making, satellite dish installation and cosmetology.

Economically productive

Mr Hadzide said the STEP project was aimed at helping young people become economically productive and resilient.

According to him, it was the estimation of the NYA that the project will help resolve the challenges of youth unemployment and related challenges such as teenage pregnancy and drug abuse among others.

Mr Hadzide indicated that under the first phase of the project, 1,000 young people had been targeted for technical skills training via apprenticeship over a period of two to three years, adding that it would later be expanded to other parts of the country.

He entreated the beneficiaries to make use of the start-up kits that would be presented to them after the training, so as to become shining examples in their communities.

He also urged master craftsmen and women selected from the respective beneficiary districts to facilitate the training not to abuse the trainees by using them as housemaids or errand boys and girls.

Support

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ada West, Sampson Tetteh Kpankpah, said the assembly would ensure regular monitoring of the programme in the district. That, he said, would ensure many unskilled youths got the opportunity to be equipped and offered employable skills for sustainable livelihood, to help them contribute towards the growth and development of the district.

The Greater Accra Regional Director of the NYA, Mathias Kofi Blay, urged the beneficiaries to uphold their various careers with integrity and strive to expand, so as to train and employ more people.

He said in the Greater Accra Region, the beneficiary districts were Ada West, Ayawaso West, Adenta and Ga West.

Some of the young trainees who spoke to the Daily Graphic commended the NYA for the programme and expressed the hope that the institution would continue to support them to realise their full potentials.