More than 100 youth in tertiary institutions in the Sissala area of the Upper West Region have undergone career path training at Tumu as part of the Northern Ghana Social Cohesion (SOCO) project.
Mr Fuseini Yakubu Batong, the Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), during the training, expressed happiness at the high number of students from the area in tertiary schools in the past few years.
He appealed to them to venture into programmes including medicine, engineering and agriculture, the lack of which present significant challenges to the area.
“We are here today because SOCO has provided us with funds to get experts to talk to you about the opportunities available in the job market after completing your courses of study to make you diverse in your learning,” he said.
Mr Adams Moro, the Municipal Coordinating Director, who spoke about opportunities in the Civil Service, said a lot of reforms were taking place in the public sector and to gain employment in the sector one needed to follow the required procedures, including application and aptitude test.
He advised the youth to resist seeking shortcuts into the Service.
Mr Adams Tofick, the Municipal Director, National Youth Authority (NYA), tasked the youth to hold leaders accountable and also participate in decision-making.
Mr Godfrey Baveru Kanton, a Deputy Director, Ghana Education Service, advised the youth to follow their career paths and sharpen their skills to enhance their employment opportunities.
Mr Theophilus Akoba, the Head, Ghana Enterprises Agency, Sissala East Municipality, spoke about how the youth could become entrepreneurs and ways to achieve success.
One of the key points, he emphasised, was that the youth should take an interest in the private sector as the public sector was overstretched and government no longer gave clearance for employment, saying: “Try to become an entrepreneur on your own.”
He advised the youth to register their businesses and seek support from the office and other agencies within the Assembly.
He identified sources of funding for the youth as the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, MASLOC, Ghana Economic Transformation Project, Investment Promotion Centre, and the Export Trade Agricultural and Industrial Development Fund.
Mr Adams Ishawu, the Focal Person, SOCO Project, Sissala East Municipality, in an overview of the project, said: “In 2023, the Sissala East Municipality received GH¢4,500,000, which is being used to carry out all the projects currently ongoing.”
These include the Tumu market stores, Navariwie classroom project, stadium road, Kong maternity block and a basketball court.
GNA
CAE/ABD
21 Jan. 2024
Picture caption: Youth training on job opportunities in Tumu
