The two-year project, which starts in January next year, will have the recruits trained and equipped to perform roles including forest plantation establishment, maintenance of existing forests and enrichment planting.

The Forestry Plantation Programme forms part of the Youth in Agriculture and Afforestation Module.

As part of the agreement, the NYEA is expected to make GH¢6 million monthly contribution from a GH¢144 million budgetary allocation while the commission supports the project with GH¢30 million for logistics, including uniforms for the recruits who will each earn GH¢400 monthly.

Promise fulfilled

Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, the Chief Executive of the Commission, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, said the project was a fulfilment of the government’s pledge to create opportunities for young people while protecting the environment.

Mr Owusu-Afriyie said in delivering its mandate, the commission, through its Forest Services Division, was implementing the modified Taungya system under the National Forest Plantation Development Programme and had engaged more than 10,000 farmers across the country for the establishment of an estimated 4000 hectares of forest plantations within degraded forests.

The Taungya system is one that allows villagers and sometimes forest plantation workers to cultivate agricultural crops during the early stages of a forest plantation. Cultivation is often allowed to continue until trees shade crops due to canopy closure.

More opportunities

For his part, the Chief Executive of the NYEA, Mr Justin Kodua Frimpong, said the agreement was among five others the agency had signed with other institutions including the Ghana Police Service to engage 15,000 youth for community protection module; another with the Local Government Service for the employment of 5,000 youth in various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies as well as a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the training of young people in various sporting disciplines.

“All those who will get the opportunity in this Youth in Afforestation Programme must take it serious. Once you do your work well, there will be several opportunities in the Forestry Commission where you can get permanent jobs,” he said.

He acknowledged that the NYEA did not only provide permanent jobs but facilitated and provided the opportunity for skilled training for people to be permanently employed.