The Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) has trained about one thousand, six hundred and sixty-seven (1,667) business startups across the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies in the northern region. The initiative is a Ghana government programme with funding support from the World Bank.
The selected applicants were taken through basic business model training and given certificates after an intensive weeklong capacity building.
The Northern Regional Manager of GEA, Mr. Mathew Azoya, in an interview told THE CUSTODIAN about 1,183 applicants were trained at the close of last week comprising 39 classes.
“And next week, we’re continuing with another nine classes; the whole region, we have about 48 classes” he noted.
According to the Manager, 30 per cent of each class would be moved to the intermediate stage where they will be given further training, adding 50 per cent of the trainees based on their performance would be moved to the advanced level.
Mr. Azoya seized the opportunity to commend the applicants for the massive turnout stressing almost about 90 percent have shown up to participate in the skills training.
He explained the beneficiaries at the basic level were taken through entrepreneurship among us but within the intermediate and advance levels, they will learn business plan preparations, business management and budget preparations respectively.
“And that is where they [participants] will really come out with business ideas they intend to implement. We will not fund something just for funding seek, we have to make sure that whatever support that we’re giving to them is used for the intended purposes” he stated.
The GEA Manager disclosed the northern region has the highest number beneficiaries nationwide but also urged applicants who have not been called yet to remain calm for their turn. Meanwhile, the Ghana Jobs and Skills Program is an initiative of the government of Ghana with funding support from the World Bank.
It is aimed at creating jobs and providing entrepreneurial skills for women, Persons with Disability (PWDs), unemployed youth and existing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME’s) owned by school dropouts between ages 18 to 40years.
