National Apprenticeship Programme to train 100,000 youth by end of 2026 — NYA CEO
The National Apprenticeship Programme trained 14,000 Ghanaian youth in 2025, exceeding its initial target of 10,000 apprentices, Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Osman Ayariga, has disclosed.
The programme was introduced to provide free and inclusive skills training to young people, particularly those who may not have had the opportunity to progress through formal education.
The NYA plans to expand the programme to train 100,000 youth by the end of 2026 as part of efforts to improve employability, entrepreneurship and access to sustainable livelihoods.
Mr Ayariga disclosed this at the National Youth Forum held on Wednesday, August 19, under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment.
He said the programme combines classroom instruction with practical workplace training to ensure that beneficiaries acquire skills relevant to the realities of the job market.
“This program deliberately combines 30% classroom learning with 70% practical workplace training, because we believe that skills training must ultimately prepare Ghanaians for the realities of the workplace and the marketplace,” he said.
Mr Ayariga said the programme had initially been designed to train 10,000 people in 2025 but exceeded the target by training 14,000 apprentices.
He said the NYA is also working to strengthen the wider apprenticeship system by training and certifying mastercraft persons who serve as trainers under the programme.
According to him, the Authority is focusing not only on the number of apprentices trained but also on the quality of training, mentorship, standardisation and certification.
He said the objective is to help transform and professionalise Ghana’s informal apprenticeship sector and create a credible pathway from skills acquisition to decent and sustainable livelihoods.
Beyond apprenticeship training, Mr Ayariga said the NYA had also endorsed applications from youth-owned businesses seeking tax holidays and exemptions through its engagement with the Ghana Revenue Authority.
He disclosed that 21 such endorsements had so far been approved, with only two applications declined.