The Youth Employment Agency has fulfilled its promise of providing financial and apprenticeship support to beneficiaries under its “Youth in Garment and Textiles” module which was launched in August this year.
Delivering cheques to the beneficiaries under the master trainers who benefitted from the module in the Bono Region, the Minister for Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions, Mr. Ignatius Baffour, noted that, the module was to provide financial and equipment assistance for entrepreneurs in garment and textiles to expand their businesses and train more prospective trainees in the sector.
At a short ceremony to present seed money to the master trainers who were shortlisted to provide training for persons who wished to enroll in the fashion industry, Mr. Baffour Awuah said the module was to ameliorate the plight of many youth who dared to learn a trade in sewing but were hindered by financial constraints, and also cushion garment and apparel factories to widen their scope of operations.
“After a thorough study into the garment industry, the government realised there are many employment opportunities in there, which have not properly been harnessed. The government, therefore, through the YEA, created this module to help expand the existing fashion businesses and create the opportunity for persons who have the will but without the financial resources” the minister said.
Presenting a cheque of GH¢100,000 to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kizoo Clothing, Mr. Kingsley Acheampong, who was selected for the category of Garment And Apparel Factories in the Bono Region, the Minister admonished him and his other colleagues who were also selected for the small and medium category to use the money judiciously as stipulated in their contract document, saying: “Maybe it is not by chance that you have been selected therefore I will plead with you to remain committed and respect the terms of the contract and engage the trainees that YEA will select for you.”
Mr. Baffour Awuah instructed the master trainers to instill disciplinary traits such as punctuality and regularity in their prospective trainees.
“This module only provides a six month and twelve month training period for trainees who will enroll under the “garment and apparel factories” and the “small and medium” categories respectively, of which they will be entitled to monthly allowance. Hence, we want you to respect them. But, I would like you to maintain a high standard of discipline. I don’t want anybody to think that they were brought by the government hence, they can do whatever they want,” he stressed.
He gave the assurance that recalcitrant trainees would be dealt with appropriately, and if it required dismissal, the authority and his Ministry would not hesitate to take that path.
The Minister, after the ceremony at the YEA office, visited the offices of Kizoo Clothing and was impressed at the apparels and work ethics of the company.
Expressing profound gratitude on behalf of his fellow beneficiaries, the CEO of Kizoo Clothing, Mr. Acheampong noted the kind gesture will help improve their businesses.
“We are very grateful to the government for this gesture. This has always been our heartfelt desire as entrepreneurs to expand our businesses to reach even the international market”, he said.
The Bono Regional Director for the YEA, Mr. Shadrach Abrefa Mensah, called on the youth to avail themselves to benefit from the various employment opportunities rolled out by the government.
“I will call on my fellow youth to identify some of these opportunities rolled out by the YEA and other government agencies to get themselves employed. These employment opportunities might not always be white collar jobs, yet very lucrative” he advised.
The YEA has exceeded its 2023 youth employment projection by 16% as it projected to engage 71,500 youths throughout its programmes.
However, as of May 2023, the agency had engaged 84,483 youths who are working and contributing to various sectors of the economy.
