The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation has supported some 1,300 youth with business start-up equipment after undergoing apprenticeship training across the Eastern Region under the Young African Works initiative.

The graduands who are into tailoring, hairdressing, barbering, and others were each given equipment to aid them start up their own business ventures.

The initiative, which was designed by the Ghana Enterprise Agency and MasterCard foundation, is geared towards creating opportunities, especially for women, girls and the youth, by helping in creating dignifying jobs.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at Akyem Oda in the Birim Central Municipality attended by graduands across the Eastern Region, the Chief Executive officer (CEO) of Ghana Enterprise Agency, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh said she was overwhelmed by the number of people who applied and encouraged Ghanaians, especially the youth to take advantage of the initiative to help in the creation of jobs in the region.

“We are overwhelmed by the show of interest and the number of people, especially the youth who applied for the training. This is an indication that the initiative is a game-changer. So I am pleading to you all the beneficiaries to make good use of the start-up kits by creating more jobs for yourselves using them and I want to assure you that we will come back to assist you grow your businesses once you start using them”.

“I want to reiterate that women’s economic empowerment is one of the world’s most promising areas of investment, biggest emerging market, and talent pools yet to be tapped, and we are committed to exploring that area by helping dozens of women in the country”.

On his part, the Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong who lauded the initiative added that the need to create jobs for skilled and unskilled unemployed persons was a responsibility of not only government but private sector and development partners.

“The government of his Excellency President Akufo-Addo is committed to creating more jobs for both skilled and unskilled youth in the country with various initiatives that will alleviate poverty at all levels, but development is not one-sided. We therefore need collaborations and support of benevolent individuals, groups and organizations in all sectors to change the good fortunes of the country. So far about 1,300 have been trained which will ensure sustainable job creation and 95% of the beneficiaries are women who mostly travel to other parts of Ghana for greener pastures and this will soon be a thing of the past”.

Some beneficiaries of the tailoring, hairdressing and dressmaking expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Ghana Enterprises Agency and MasterCard Foundation for their kind gesture.