The Northern Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), Alhaji Haruna Mohammed, has presented industrial sewing machines to 52 beneficiaries under the Garment and Apparel model after completing a 6-month intensive training.
The YEA recruited eighteen (18) master crafts to train at least three apprentices each to become masters of the trade as part of the government’s youth empowerment and entrepreneurship interventions.
At a brief handing over ceremony last Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Haruna Mohammed said the initiative falls in line with the mandate of the agency to create employment opportunities for the Ghanaian youth.
The Director noted that the beneficiaries have been equipped with the requisite skills and the tools given to them will enable them startup their own dress making shops. He added this will promote the production of made in Ghana wears.
Mr. Haruna emphasized that the machines are very standard ones that would last for very longtime and further admonished the recipients to maintain regularly to serve its intended.
He also clarified that there were 57 beneficiaries in the Northern Region at the beginning of the program but five individuals failed to report to work and therefore they were not validated. As a result, he indicated that the 52 people who turnout for the training are being graduated and given the support to start their own businesses.
“Like I said when I was delivering my message to them, I told them they should always make sure that there is constant servicing of the machines; these machines must be seen as theirs not ours’, we have provided it for them and they should look after just like they have used their own money to these machines and ensure they use judiciously” he advised.
Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries from the Kpandai district, Madam Okumah Alberta, thanked the management of the Youth Employment Agency and the Akufo-Addo government for the intervention.
“The kind of training that I received will help me to train other people in my community because we received things for free and I am from a poor home too and I can help some people to come and learn from me without taking anything from them” she stated.
