Germany Commits $132 Million to Support Skills Development and Youth Jobs in Ghana
The German government has committed $132 million to support skills development and workplace training for young people in Ghana, Minister of State at the Presidency in charge of Special Presidential Initiatives, Dr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, has disclosed.
According to Dr Pelpuo, $82 million of the funding will be used to recruit young people who have already acquired technical skills and place them with companies and organisations where they can gain practical work experience.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Dr Pelpuo said discussions with German authorities resulted in the agreement to provide the funds to support skills training and employment opportunities for young people.
“I’ve had a very good discussion with the Germans, who I got so close with and travelled there and had meetings with a number of people. And we eventually agreed for them to send us an amount of money that can get us $132 million for training purposes,” he said.
He explained that the $82 million component would focus on getting skilled young people into workplaces where they can apply and further develop the skills they already have.
“We are using $82 million of that amount to make sure we recruit as many young people as possible who have already gotten some skills, put them in the areas of their capacity, get them to work,” he stated.
Dr Pelpuo said the government would provide monthly financial support to the trainees while they work with participating companies.
According to him, the arrangement would allow young people to gain practical experience and improve their skills without putting the financial burden of paying them directly on the companies.
“We will pay him on a monthly basis to make sure that he improves his skill,” he said.
He added that companies that participate in the programme could eventually employ trainees who prove to be valuable additions to their workforce.
Dr Pelpuo explained that even those who are not retained by the companies would leave the programme with additional practical experience and improved skills that could help them establish their own businesses or find other employment opportunities.
The Minister also disclosed that the remaining $50 million would be used to establish a university dedicated specifically to skills development.
“Part of the money, which is going to be the 50 million dollars, will be used to construct a university for skill development. For the first time, a skill development university in Ghana,” he said.
Dr Pelpuo said the initiative is part of government’s efforts to address the gap between young people who have acquired technical and vocational skills and the availability of suitable employment opportunities.
The programme is expected to provide young people with opportunities to gain workplace experience while strengthening their existing skills and improving their chances of securing long-term employment or becoming self-employed.
