Employment Minister commends GIZ Ghana for supporting 410 young entrepreneurs

The German Development Cooperation has supported 410 young entrepreneurs with business startups worth over one million Ghana cedis.

The support forms part of a series of activities aimed at empowering young entrepreneurs and businesses as well as facilitating their access to diverse opportunities for growth in the country.

The beneficiaries selected from four regions of Ghana; Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Great Accra regions rreceived training in catering, fashion design, cosmetology , satellite installation and bakery among others.

They were presented with items such as tailoring machines, fridges , oven motorbikes among others to start their businesses.

Speaking at the handling over ceremony in Sunyani yesterday, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations commended GIZ for the initiative indicating it would go long way to address the irregular migration situation in the country especially in the three regions, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo.

He said the Ministry of Employment in partnership with the Ghana European Centre for Jobs, Migration, and Development would soon open a training centres in Techiman and Goaso to provide services in job opportunities for the youth.

The Employment Minister noted that the government through the technical and vocational education policy was building the capacities of the youth for the world of work for the future and urged them to psych up themselves and determine to succeed in their businesses.

He appealed to GIZ to consider offering scholarship for talented young Ghanaians to school abroad to develop their talents which would enable them come back to establish their own businesses.

The Head of Programmes incharge of Support to the private and Financial sectors programme (PFS) of.GIZ Mr Christian Jahn said the main goal of PFS is to improve the employment situation of small, and medium enterprises in selected regions in Ghana.

According to him young entrepreneurs are the backbone of the country’s economy with the private sector leading the way by creating sustainable jobs for the people.

He said it was in this reason that his outfit finds it convenient to invest in building the capacity of young entrepreneurs so that they could start their own businesses and expand further to create jobs and employ more people.

He noted that since 2017 GIZ had supported 10,000 business startups and about 5400 of the number including 50 percent being women have moved on to become self employed generating income from the support received.

A sunyani based Entrepreneur Madam Grace Bennett urged the beneficiaries to ensure thatl they the items into the intended use and also maintain them properly.

She again urged GIZ to continue to provide mentorship and coaching to the beneficiaries to ensure the sustainability of their businesses.

From DANIEL DZIRASAH SUNYANI