2010 NYEP massive recruitment takes off
The Government of Ghana is making frantic efforts to alleviate unemployment, especially among the youth in the country. To this end, the government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports has rolled-out the 2010 National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) for a massive recruitment drive to further rope in more unemployed youth into the programe.
The programme is expected to benefit more than 200,000 youth between 2010 and 2011. The youth will be recruited into modules such as the Youth in Security Services, comprising community protection assistants, fire safety and prevention assistants, immigration service assistants, and prison service assistants.
While the Community Education Teaching Assistants; Youth in Agriculture Business, Youth in ICT; Youth in Paid Internship and Vacation Jobs; Youth in Afforestation; and Youth in Trades and Vocation are some of the modules.
Launching the 2010 NYEP Recruitment Drive under the theme: “Hope for the youth-towards a better Ghana”, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Rashid Pelpuo emphasized that “all these modules are being implemented with the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, including governmental and non-governmental organizations committed to youth development, employment creation, and poverty reduction”.
According to him, the government's vision of better Ghana encompasses access by all citizens, including the poor and the disadvantaged, to remunerative employment and productive resources. Access to primary education, primary healthcare, sanitation and clean water, and community security and protection must be assured for all people, Mr. Pelpuo added.
To the youth, the sector Minister appealed to them to take advantage of all these laudable initiatives to make their lives more fulfilling and admonished them to use the additional experiences they gained to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.
For the rest of the society, especially the private sector, Mr. Pelpuo encouraged them to get involved and make it a programme that was geared toward providing employment for every household and all citizens of the country.
Given his welcome address and situational report of the NYEP, the National Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme, Mr. Pele Abuga disclosed that close to 80,000 youth job seekers had registered with the programme nationwide.
He further disclosed that since the inception of the programme, it had been able to recruit only 110,000 representing 10% of those seeking to be engaged. But the impact has been very tremendous, particularly in the area of health, agric, education, sanitation and security support services, Mr. Abuga indicated.
The National Coordinator of the programme revealed that the Ministry has reviewed the programme and recommendations were being implemented. These, Mr. Abuga mentioned, included headcount exercise to rid the pay roll of ghost names, exit plans are introduced to give opportunity to beneficiaries to graduate into mainstream employment, and restructuring the programme to make room for more effective in monitoring and recruitment.
On challenges, he indicated that the programme is being confronted with a number of challenges. These are mainly in the area of funding, accommodation and the legal foundation of the programme.
To address these, Mr. Abuga intimated that the Ministry has made a number of proposals to government for considerations; that the programme be encased in legislation this is being emphasized by 2010 budget; the talk-time be raised to at least 70%, funds from the funding sources be deducted at source beginning first quarter of next year.