NAPO tackles youth unemployment in Manhyia South with skills training

At least 80 youth in the Manhyia South Constituency of the Ashanti region are benefiting from skills development programmes to reduce the unemployment situation in the area.

The youth are being empowered with startup equipment and skills training to start their businesses and satisfy other needs.

The project dubbed, “Reducing Unemployment through Skills Training”, is an initiative of the College of Beauty and Arts and Entrepreneurship (CBAE), with support from the Member of Parliament of the area, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, aka NAPO.

The trainees who were selected from various electoral areas in the constituency will be taken through Makeup Artistry, Fashion Design Technology, Hair Technology, Customer Care, and Social Media Marketing among others.

It is expected that at least 500 people drawn from various districts across the country, will benefit from this project.

“This initiative is to empower youth with skills training to make them self-reliant. We partner with international agencies, government agencies and cooperate institutions and MPs to implement this project. And so it was not surprising that when when we approached Dr. Opoku Prempeh with this initiative, he did not hesitate to partner with us”, said Miss Rebecca Donkor, the CEO of CBAE, as she describes the lawmaker as a forward-thinking politician.

“It’s a seven week programme and going forward in the next year we hope to be with them to build their capacities. It is our first stop in Kumasi and we are starting with the Manhyia South Constituency”, she added.

Nana Ama Tima Boakye, who represented Dr. Opoku Prempeh at the official launch of the project touted some of the initiatives spearheaded by the legislator in the area of education, stressing the need to encourage skills training in the youth to help reduce unemployment.

“The MP has technical education at heart and so when he was at the Ministry of Education he ensured that more TVET institutions were established and existing institutions were also retooled to enable to educate students who were enrolled there. And so the love he has for TVET has not waned. And so it is not surprising that this programme has been put together.

“After the training, we are speaking with COTVET to provide them with equipment to establish themselves. This is a progressive project and so the MP is ever ready to support people who are ready to learn”, she noted.

A beneficiary, 31-year-old Akua Serwaa, thanked the MP for the initiative.

“I dropped out of school at tender age because my parents couldn’t fund my education. At least I know that all is not lost and I encourage the beneficiaries to take this initiative seriously.”

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH