200,000 youth targeted in YEA’s artisanal jobs programme

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has announced the commencement and activation of its Artisan Directory Programme, a skills development and market facilitation programme that seeks to train the youth in different artisanal skill areas and link them to prospective clients via a digital platform.

According to the YEA, the programme has been designed with the support and contribution of industry players and government agencies.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra to announce the activation, CEO of YEA, Justin Kodua-Frimpong, said the directory will serve as a one-stop shop for the supply of certified and professionally groomed artisans to the general public.

The directory, he added, can be accessed through the YEA app.

He furthered that the initial focus of the programme is on artisans in construction, but added that it will eventually be scaled up to include all artisanal areas.

The programme is expected to benefit at least 200,000 youth by December 2023. It will also provide start-up packages to support micro and small-scale enterprise creation in the artisanal sector.

Advertisements have already gone out for the recruitment of master craftsmen/women in construction, with specific areas of interest including plasterboard installation, interior decoration, plumbing, carpentry, masonry, aluminium fabrication, tiling, landscaping, general electricals, steel bending, painting, and welding.

Samuel Amegayibor, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), which is supporting the programme, commended YEA for the initiative and partnership.

“[The programme] will help us develop data on our artisans across the board and help to regulate the system. It is something all of us must embrace, especially those at the artisanal level.”

The online portal for registration has been opened till November 28.