The National Youth Authority (NYA) of the Wenchi Municipal Assembly has sensitised the public on its official mandates and activities.
The Municipal director of the authority, Miss Abigail Oforiwa Afari explained the mandate, vision and mission of the authority.
According to her, the National Youth Authority exists, amongst other mandates, to coordinate and facilitate youth empowerment activities in Ghana to ensure development.
She explained the difference between the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the National Youth Authority (NYA), noting that YEA solely deals with employment related issues, where the youth are engaged in specific job modules and paid monthly stipends, whereas the National Youth Authority (NYA) facilitates the development of the youth by creating the enabling environment through the implementation of youth development centred policy initiatives.
This also includes intervention programmes, including skills empowerment and capacity building, using highly motivated and dedicated staff of the authority and improved technology.
Madam Oforiwa Afari explained that the authority has introduced youth development driven flagship programmes and policies, such as Skills Towards Employ ability and Productivity (STEP), National Youth Volunteerism Programme (NYVP) amongst others, to mitigate joblessness and idleness.
“Municipal and District Directors of the Authority have the responsibility to roll out skills training programmes, from time to time, to help solve and reduce unemployment among the youth. The Act of Parliament, Act 2016 (939) that enacted the Authority mandates all youth groups and organisations to register with the Authority for effective monitoring of their activities”, she said.
Madam Oforiwaa, therefore, urged all youth groups to register with the authority to enable them have easy access to training programmes, other technical support and incentives to attain greater heights.
She further appealed to stakeholders to rally their support for the authority to help raise resilience among the youth.
She also advised the youth to stay focused in life, eschew drug abuse and other tendencies that jeopardise their lives and live modest lives and be the change they want to see in their communities.
