The Youth Inclusive Entrepreneurial Development Initiative for Employment (YIEDIE) has called for investment into Ghana’s construction industry to create jobs for the youth.
According to YIEDIE, the construction industry is projected to create over 23,000 jobs by end of this year.
The figure, follows a report by the World Bank which showed that over one million jobs will be available in Ghana’s construction sector between 2015 and 2020.
YIEDIE is a five year project, aimed at creating economic opportunities in Ghana’s construction sector for disadvantaged youth.
Speaking to Citi Business News at a construction exhibition show in Accra, the Project Director for YIEDIE Kafui Mills – Odoi said the goal of the programme is to train the youth with the needed skills to work in the construction sector.
She maintained that the construction industry has the potential to grow Ghana’s economy substantially if the youth is encouraged to go into it.
“I think the good thing we have now and what we are buying into is government’s plan for youth employment and so we are looking at policies that government has put in place,” she said.
Madam Mills-Odoi hinted that YIEDIE will work for an increase in investment to help expand its operations to cover more people.
“We are pushing further for increased government support for 17-24 year olds maybe with more credit. Then we are looking at opportunities for them to be part of the big projects that are being done especially those that are in schools and have been trained,” she said, adding that the programme will focus on training.
She announced that YIEDIE has begun negotiations with the Ministry for Employment and Labor Relations for increase support.
“We are engaging the Ministry for Employment and Labor Relations to support us extensively to support us in doing that”.
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By: Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
