The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has activated its Artisan Directory programme aimed at creating jobs for the youth of Ghana.
The Artisan Directory is a skills development and market facilitation programme that seeks to train the youth in different artisanal skill areas and link them with prospective clients via a digital platform.
The programme is designed with the support and contributions of industry players namely GREDA and various Artisan Associations including Artisan Association of Ghana, AESL, Ghana Police CID, NVTI/OIC, Local Government Services, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations among others.
It is purposed to be a one-stop shop for the supply of certified and professionally groomed Artisans and provide start-up packages to support micro and small-scale entreprises in the sector.
Addressing the press on the programme, the Chief Executive Officer of the YEA, Lawyer Justin Kodua-Frimpong noted that the Artisan Directory will create at least 200000 jobs through the recruitment of skilled and unskilled young artisans.
The Agency has opened a registration portal for all persons interested in the programme to register and grab this employment opportunity.
''Advertisement has already gone out for the recruitment of Mastercrafts men/ women in this category and lays out the specific areas of interest including Plasterboard Installation, Interior Decoration, Plumbing, Carpentry, Masonry, Aluminum Fabrication, Tiling, Landscaping, General Electricals, Steel Bending, Painting and Welding.
''Mastercrafts men/women who are found to be exceptional in their skill level would be later engaged to train unskilled youth on the programme.
''The online portal for registration has been opened and would remain open until close of day Sunday 28th November 2021. The application requirements can be found on the advertisments as published in the dailies and on the Agency’s social media platforms. Artisans in this sector are encouraged to visit register.yea.gov.gh/artisan to register irrespective of their educational background'', the YEA CEO announced.
Read full statement below:
PRESS STATEMENT ON THE YEA ARTISAN DIRECTORY PROGRAMME DELIVERED BY LAWYER JUSTIN KODUA-FRIMPONG ON THE 11TH NOVEMBER, 2021 AT YEA HEAD OFFICE CONFERENCE ROOM
Introduction
Good morning my good friends from the Media and our key stakeholders who have found time out of your busy schedules to be here with us this morning.
We are really grateful for your timely response to our invitation to this press briefing even though at short notice. Your commitment to support the Youth Employment Agency deliver its mandate which is to create jobs for the youth of this country has never been in doubt and that is why I am particularly happy and always ready to call upon you anytime the need arises.
Purpose
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, you would recall that we have already had a number of very pleasant engagements where the exact mandate of the Agency and the interventions management had lined up to deliver this mandate was discussed. Our meeting here today, is to share with you and the general public, the activation of the YEA Artisan Directory Programme which seeks to use gaps in the Artisanal Sector to create jobs for the youth.
Background of Artisan Directory Programme
Ladies and Gentlemen, the importance of the Artisanal industry to provide jobs and create wealth cannot be over emphasized. It is a creative sector that individuals and businesses all over the world depend on for the provision of goods and services of all kinds to satisfy the needs of man. The sector is currently estimated at $34 Billion per year and it is the second largest employer in developing countries after agriculture according to Indego Africa (2016).
The Ghana Statistical Service also estimated that 86.1% of all employment is to be found in the informal economy yet 90.9% of women and 81% of men in the sector, work under circumstances which are to a large extent uncontrolled, unregulated and do not conform to standards as established by regulatory institutions (GSS, p.79).
The informal sector which is largely artisanal is widely seen as the growth engine for internally driven economic transformation. However, the sector is yet to realize its full potential as the hub of decent jobs for the benefit of many youth who are either graduates awaiting to be productively engaged, artisans or labourers.
Even though the artisan sector is faced with some challenges including the lack of reliable platforms to facilitate the marketing of Goods and Services and Low remuneration, the industry provides hope and is capable of generating more decent, sustainable and attractive employment opportunities for the youth while contributing meaningfully to the development and growth of Ghana.
This is grounded in the following reasons:
1. Ghana being a developing country would continue to build social and economic infrastructure for purposes of accerelated development. This obviously would require the use of Artisans’ services in the development process.
2. Generally, it is acknowledged that players in the informal sector particularly the construction industry prefer to import Artisans from Togo and other neighbouring countries due to domestic challenges with finishing.
In anticipation of a booming Artisanal sector as a result of the identified potentials supra, the development of an efficiently working ‘ARTISAN DIRECTORY’ would support to provide the needs of the sector.
Programme Components
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Artisan Directory is a skills development and market facilitation programme that seeks to train the youth in different artisanal skill areas and link young artisans to their prospective clients via a digital platform.
The Programme has been specially designed with the support and contribution of industry players namely GREDA, various Artisan Associations including Artisan Association of Ghana, AESL, Ghana Police CID, NVTI/OIC, Local Government Services, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations to mention but a few, along a number of activity lines as follows;
a) The Artisan Directory would serve as a one-stop shop for the supply of certified and professionally groomed Artisans to the general public (through the use of the YEA Artisan Directory APP, a market facilitation plaform).
b) It would serve as a means of hard skills development and professional grooming of Artisans,
c) Provide Start-Up packages to support Micro and Small Scale Entreprise Creation in the sector,
d) Establish a common User Tools and Equipment Centre to support Artisans without tools in the Districts.
Scale-up Plan
While we acknowledge that the sector is made up of many categories of Artisans, it is said “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step” so the initial focus is on Artisans in construction. The programme would eventually be scaled up to include all artisanal areas and is expected to recruit at least 200, 000 youth by December 2023.
Opening of Registration Portal
Advertisement has already gone out for the recruitment of Mastercrafts men/ women in this category and lays out the specific areas of interest including Plasterboard Installation, Interior Decoration, Plumbing, Carpentry, Masonry, Aluminum Fabrication, Tiling, Landscaping, General Electricals, Steel Bending, Painting and Welding.
Mastercrafts men/women who are found to be exceptional in their skill level would be later engaged to train unskilled youth on the programme.
The online portal for registration has been opened and would remain open until close of day Sunday 28th November 2021. The application requirements can be found on the advertisments as published in the dailies and on the Agency’s social media platforms. Artisans in this sector are encouraged to visit register.yea.gov.gh/artisan to register irrespective of their educational background.
Conclusion
Ladies and Gentlemen, Youth Unemployment is a major challenge in the country and it is our strong belief that this project would contribute significantly towards addressing the challenge.
Thank you.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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