“Graduate Work and Salary Top-Up Programme” as part of measures to reducing the growing unemployment in the country.

The initiative of GIZ and TDI Global Limited, the pilot scheme of the project is being implemented by the Ghana-German Centre.

The  programme served dual objective, first aimed  to cushion reputable Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)’s post-COVID recovery by supporting their wage bill as they seek to recruit fresh hands to spur growth from the effects of the COVID pandemic.

On a threshold of GHC1, 500, the GGC pays 60 per cent of employee’s salary for six months and 40 per cent for the subsequent four months.

“The programme therefore supports SMEs by leveraging their wage bill for growth, whilst promoting employment, improving skills, and entrepreneurship among the youth, through their 10months corporate experience that serves as a springboard from retention or alternate employment opportunities,” a statement from the GGC said.

The statement said the newly hired staff would be given training plan, acquire valuable on-the-job learning to augment their work experience, sharpen their skills, develop their career goals, and establish corporate networks that may prove valuable throughout their careers.

It said the motivated individuals with rounded skills bring fresh thinking and innovation to their workplaces, as the organisations benefit from the savings off their wage bill and create more jobs.

The initiative therefore contributes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal Number Eight by promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, productive employment, and decent work for the youth.

The statement said the GGC was partnering with TDI Global Limited to bring its internationally top-rated approach to building capacity of workforce and enterprises in a structured manner.

“Through the TDI’s My3D Programme (Discover, Develop and Deploy), beneficiaries are taken through a well-structured self-discovery and self-mastery programme that enables them to understand their skills, strengths and gaps. They are then provided career guidance, counselling, mentorship, and training that develop and optimise their skills before and during their period of internship. TDI collaborates with the employers to determine their specific skills need and then equip the youth (My3D Scholars) with the right work skills, digital skills, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills that enable them to bring fresh thinking and innovation to the organisations, improve productivity and growth and enable the organisations to become internationally competitive,” the statement said.

The statement said the World Bank report of September 2020, indicated that Ghana was faced with 12 per cent unemployment and more than 50 per cent underemployment among the youth, both higher than overall unemployment and underemployment rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.