The Youth Inclusive Entrepreneurial Development Initiative for Employment (YIEDIE) project has hosted 2000 youth to a career mentorship fair to educate them on opportunities that exist in the construction sector.
The YIEDIE project, a part of the Youth Forward Initiative in collaboration with Mastercard Foundation, is focused on transitioning economically disadvantaged young people to find quality employment or start their own businesses.
Mrs Vera Kafui Mills-Odoi, YIEDIE Project Director, said the fair was to stimulate discussions around the need for comprehensive support systems to complement investments in skills development.
She said research reveals that skills continues to be a contributory factor to youth unemployment, particularly in the construction sector, adding that many who entered the labour market after school were ill-equipped in basic numeracy, communication and workplace skills.
The fair was also to build partnerships between the public and private sector for youth skills development and mentoring, expose the youth to the project and partner with established construction firms to create opportunities for placements and internships.
Mrs Mills-Odoi said under the project, the youth would also be linked with successful men and women within the sector with similar background to serve as mentors.
Reverend Albert Ocran, a motivational speaker, who spoke on Personal Life Planning, urged the youth to have vision, integrity, be time-bound, take actions as well as market themselves through constant improvement, innovation and good social networks.
He said life is unpredictable but proper planning and preparedness could help to avert most of its challenges and bring much more joy and relief.
Reverend Ocran educated them on the need to have integrity saying “you don’t have to cut corners, cheat or engage in fraudulent activities to climb to the top but be faithful in little things and God will bless you”.
The YIEDIE project is a five-year project to create economic opportunities in Ghana’s construction sector for underprivileged youths in society.
The project implemented in Ghana by Global Communities would reach out to at least 23,700 youths with training in technical, life and entrepreneurship skills leading to employment through an integrated, youth-led market systems model to improve capacity of youth and service providers across the construction value chain.
GNA
