The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) in partnership with Mastercard Foundation has supported five young entrepreneurs in Wa in the Upper West Region with start-up kits to enable them to pursue their chosen vocations.

The five are a part of a total of 30 young individuals scheduled to receive support from the GEA, after they had been trained in various craftsmanship programmes under a project dubbed “Young Africa Works” that seeks to create dignified work for young people in Ghana.

The beneficiaries who had successfully undergone training in barbering, hair dressing and sewing were handed certificates of completion as well as tools and equipment to set up their own shops.

The Upper West Regional Director of GEA, Mr Mohammed Abdul-Moomin, said the initiative formed part of the GEA/MasterCard foundation Young Africa Works Project, which focuses on youth employment.

He said the beneficiaries were trained in the various vocations based on their preference, for free and said the remaining 25 beneficiaries would receive their support when they completed their training as well.

The director indicated that the equipment would enable beneficiaries to work for themselves and also train more people in the region to help alleviate poverty and create jobs for the youth.

Mr Abdul-Moomin said the project sought to create employment and income-generation opportunities for about 39,000 young men and women across the country with 70 per cent of the intervention targeting females.

He said the project had three components which included Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship to equip young men and women to earn sustainable income and Business Acceleration to fast-track growth and productivity of small scale enterprises.

He mentioned the remaining components as Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) to transform young people, especially women, into successful creative and innovative entrepreneurs.

Mr Abdul-Moomin advised the beneficiaries to put the skills acquired to practice in order to qualify for additional support when the need arose for them to expand their business.

Seidu Yussif, a beneficiary of the project speaking on behalf of his colleagues, said they were grateful to GEA and Mastercard Foundation for the support.