Government has commenced a nationwide stakeholder engagement on its flagship entrepreneurship and job creation programme, YouStart, ahead of its scheduled launch next month.
It will be recalled that Government, last year, during the presentation of the 2022 budget and economic statement announced plans to roll an ambitious GHC10 billion programme for the next three years to address the growing unemployment situation in the country.
In order to drive acceptability for the programme and to ensure Ghanaians understand the importance and relevance of the Youstart programme, Government through the Ministry of France and its implementing agencies and partners have started engaging and soliciting feedback from various stakeholders.
In a ceremony in the Ashanti Region on Monday, May 23, 2022 to engage Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives from the Bono East, Ahafo, Western North, Ashanti and Bono regions, Deputy Minister For Finance and Member of Parliament for Ejisu, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, indicated that Government will engage very broadly on the YouStart programme and aggressively educate Ghanaians.
The education, he said, would centre on the need to support the programme since it holds the key to transform the socio-economic conditions and accelerate our post Covid economic recovery efforts.
“Upon Government’s announcement of the YouStart programme last year, work has been done to ensure we develop a programme that holistically addresses the unemployment situation in this country to identify and develop the potential of the youth. Within the next three years, we want to create 1 million jobs and empower our youth to be job creators and not job seekers and we can only achieve this through your support,” he said.
The Deputy Minister further added that Government has set out a pattern plan to ensure that the country engages and gathers feedback before the programme is launched by the President.
Also present at the ceremony was the Minister for Local Government and Member of Parliament for Okere, Mr Dan Botwe, Chief Executive Officers of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme and the Ghana Enterprises Agencies, Mr. Kofi Ofosu Nkansah and Mrs KosiYankey-Ayeh respectively.
YOUSTART, which is being funded by the E- Levy, is a programme that seeks to support young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training, and technical skills that will enable them start, build and grow their own businesses.
This initiative targets young people and students between the ages of 18-35 years who have brilliant business ideas and viable businesses, and supports these individuals to nurture, grow and expand their businesses and job creation in the economy.
Government, through the YOUSTART programme, intends to build an entrepreneurial nation by providing some of the key enablers that make entrepreneurship a success.
These include; access to finance and markets, mentorship, strategic partnership and digital linkages, technical assistance and business advisory support service.
