The Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment (MYDE) has signed a five-year partnership agreement with the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Design and Technology Institute (DTI) to expand opportunities for young Ghanaians through skills development, values-based training and employment support.

The Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signed on Tuesday August 4, are aimed at addressing some of the key challenges confronting the youth, including limited access to skills training, technology, startup support, labour market opportunities and information.

The partnership was signed on the theme: “Rebuilding Values, Inspiring Patriotism: Empowering the Youth in the Digital Age.”

The agreement follows earlier engagements between the Ministry, CCG and DTI on the challenges affecting young people since the establishment of the Ministry.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, said the initiative reflects a shared commitment to equipping young Ghanaians with the tools needed to succeed in an evolving economy.

He described the youth as Ghana’s greatest national asset and stressed that investing in their development was both a social responsibility and an economic necessity.

“Investing in youth development is not only a social responsibility but also an economic imperative. This is why partnerships such as the one we are committing to today are essential to achieving our vision of creating a skilled, innovative, productive, and resilient youth population,” he said.

Under the partnership with the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ministry will leverage the Council’s extensive network of churches and communities to implement youth-focused programmes, including awareness campaigns, training of peer educators, teachers, clergy, youth workers and community volunteers.

The collaboration will also support the establishment and strengthening of school clubs, youth clubs and community support groups aimed at promoting responsible citizenship and youth development.

Opare-Addo commended the Christian Council for its contribution to national development, peacebuilding, social justice and moral leadership, noting that its nationwide presence would be critical to reaching more young people.

The agreement with the Design and Technology Institute, meanwhile, will focus on improving access to industry-relevant skills training, internships and employability programmes for young Ghanaians.

The Minister said the collaboration would support the integration of DTI’s training and internship modules into national youth development and employment programmes, with emphasis on technical skills, productivity, work readiness and soft skills development.

He urged all partners to remain committed to translating the agreements into practical programmes with measurable outcomes that would positively impact the lives of young people.