Akufo-Addo has created more jobs for the youth despite the economic challenges — YEA CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Employment Agency YEA Mr. Kofi Baah Agyepong has told Ghanaians that the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-AddoI is very sensitive to the plight of Ghanaians in the face of global economic crises.

He noted that the President is resolved to reduce the burden of Ghanaians through further creation of jobs, skills acquisitions and entrepreneurial development of the youth.

According to Mr Agyepong, this is evident in the creation of over 17,000 jobs in the last four months by the Youth Employment Agency through its Community Heath Worker Programme CHWS, Prisons Office Assistants, Community Protection Assistants, the YEA Jobcentre and partnerships with the private sector.

Mr Agyepong made the revelation when he was addressing a passing-out parade of 1,064 of the second batch of CPAs beneficiaries drawn from the Bono, Ashanti, Bono East, Ahafo and the Western North region. This represented a total 5,400 beneficiaries who were concurrently passing out at the various Police Training Schools in the country.

In his speech, the CEO averred that Akufo-Addo's government has conceded that times are hard and charged YEA and other agencies to refocus on creating employment and improving conditions of service for employees. According to him, the Agency has already created over 17,000 jobs since his assumption as CEO and is poised to create more jobs before the close of 2023.

Apart from rolling out the traditional modules, he added that allowances of beneficiaries have now been increased to 500 cedis.

According to him, there is also a deepened partnership with the diplomatic community and private sector to create more private sector-led jobs.

Mr Agyepong also told the gathering that YEA's new agenda also creates a platform for people in the technical and Artisan sector with an oncoming partnership with NEIP, NVTI, GEA etc.

To the beneficiaries under the Community Protection Assistants CPAs module, the CEO advised them not to compromise on their professional integrity in the course of discharging their duties in the communities. He added that the Agency would not hesitate to weed out any CPA personnel by the GPS for infractions.

Mr Kofi Agyepong explained that such caution was in line with assurance by the GPS to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U) with the Agency to give consideration and priority to CPA personnel in future recruitment into the mainstream service.

He explained that the Agency had taken the necessary steps to clear all outstanding arrears owed beneficiaries. He stressed that the NPP government had made strenuous efforts in spite of the economic turbulence to release funds timely to meet the monthly stipends of the beneficiaries.

The passing-out ceremony was concurrently held in Pwalugu Police Training School led by the Deputy CEO in charge of Operations, Alhaji Ibrahim Bashiru, in Accra by Director of Technical Service Chris Arthur and Eastern Region by the Regional Director Jerry Adu Poku.