The government has estimated that the over 100,000 beneficiaries of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) have positively impacted the livelihoods of over 500,000 individuals in the last four years.

YEA was set up to, among other things, work towards reducing youth unemployment through skills development, monetary assistance and startups to enable the youth to create employment for themselves and others.

The agency has recruited some youth as community protection assistants working with the Ghana Police Service, community health workers working with the Ghana Health Service, Prison Office Assistants working with the Ghana Prisons Service, workers on the Cocoa Rehabilitation Programme, and facilitated the training of more than 30,000 entrepreneurs trained by both the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) and the Ghana Library Board with support for set-ups.

This came to light yesterday when the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, addressed the maiden YEA Beneficiaries Forum in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.

An estimated 8,000 young men and women in various modules of the agency attended the forum at the Bantama Church of Pentecost in Kumasi where the President also interacted with the beneficiaries.

He was joined by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the YEA, Kofi Agyepong; the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Sam Pyne, and regional executive of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), among others.

Praise

President Akufo-Addo praised the management and board of YEA for the significant efforts in addressing the country's unemployment issue. 
He highlighted plans to enhance the appeal and effectiveness of YEA's programmes, particularly for the youth.
President Akufo-Addo gave an assurance that the government would support the security services to consider the beneficiaries' appeals to be enlisted.
There are 15,000 Community Protection Assistants working with the Ghana Police Service and 1,500 Prison Office Assistants working with the Ghana Prisons Service.

Elections

President Akufo-Addo emphasised the importance of the upcoming elections and urged citizens to participate actively in the process and make the right decision. He encouraged the youth’s involvement in the elections and campaigns, saying, "the future of Ghana resides in you and your votes."

Commitment

For his part, Mr Awuah also commended YEA's leadership and pointed out that YEA had moved beyond traditional roles and was now training individuals in various trades such as carpentry, masonry, welding and hairdressing.

He appealed to security agencies to utilise the talents of the YEA beneficiaries efficiently. The CEO of YEA emphasised the agency's commitment to its beneficiaries by ensuring timely payments and training to boost morale and appreciation.

Mr Agyepong shared the success stories of some beneficiaries who were creating jobs for themselves and others, noting that 8,496 beneficiaries are in the Ashanti Region alone, including community police, health workers and those with the Prison Service.

YEA supports 6,011 businesses in the region, paying allowances to service employees.

Under the textile model, beneficiaries receive GH¢1,857 each for 143 businesses, including tailors and seamstresses, while large garment companies benefit with over GH¢92,000 each.

Mr Agyepong acknowledged challenges with the sanitation model's payment structure, but promised improvements in future.

The CEO said YEA's efforts to integrate beneficiaries into security services and other sectors highlighted the agency's role in combating unemployment and fostering economic growth in the country.