National Apprenticeship Programme Will Benefit All Interested Youth, Says Bono Minister

Sunyani: Mr Joseph Addae Akwaboah, the Bono Regional Minister, has assured that the government's National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) will benefit all interested young people across the country. The NAP, a significant government initiative, aims to address youth unemployment, close the skills gap, and promote economic growth by providing free, high-quality apprenticeship training. This initiative is designed to equip young people with industry-relevant technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial skills.According to Ghana News Agency, beneficiaries of the NAP will receive nationally recognised certifications, facilitating pathways to employment or self-employment in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, fashion, construction, renewable energy, and traditional crafts. Mr Akwaboah emphasized the government's commitment to tackling unemployment, noting that nearly 1.2 million Ghanaians aged between 15 and 35 years are either unemployed or under-employed. The unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 years stands at about 5.4 percent, with recent estimates placing unemployment and under-employment as high as 38.8 percent. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of the youth are engaged in the informal sector.The Minister made these remarks at the induction of about 700 apprentices under the NAP in Sunyani. These apprentices, selected from all 12 administrative districts and municipalities of the Bono Region, will undergo competency-based training in industry-relevant skills to prepare them for gainful employment and entrepreneurship. Mr Akwaboah reiterated the government's commitment to enrolling 10,000 beneficiaries nationwide in trades that directly address labor market demands, including agriculture, traditional crafts, arts, cosmetology, hospitality, ICT, and emerging digital skills.He also highlighted that apprentices would be provided with personal protective equipment, learning tools at the start of their training, and start-up toolkits with continued mentorship at the end. This support structure aims to help them transition smoothly into self-employment and small enterprises. Mr Akwaboah stressed that training alone is insufficient, leading to the introduction of a comprehensive apprenticeship monitoring and evaluation framework within the NAP policy to effectively track implementation and outcomes.