Bono Minister assures of government commitment to job-creation

Madam Justina Owusu-Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister has affirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing entrepreneurship development for job creation and poverty reduction.

She said the government would continue to create opportunities for employable skills training through creativity and innovations that would provide an enabling environment for the youth to learn trade.

Madam Owusu-Banahene was speaking at a graduation ceremony for beneficiaries of the ‘Apprenticeship to Entrepreneurship (A2E) Initiative of the government being implemented by the Ghana Enterprises Agency with support from the MasterCard Foundation and the Young Africa Works.

The Regional Minister presented start-up kits to the male and female graduates between 18 and 35 years selected from the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions to start their own businesses.

They underwent six months of training in welding and fabrication, leather works, bakery, sewing, hairdressing and barbering.

Madam Owusu-Banahene congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to use the acquired skills to better their lives.

Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Enterprises Agency said the training modules would be expanded to benefit more young people in the country and advised the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity provided them.

Mrs Yankey-Ayeh said similar trainings had been held already in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Savannah and Central Regions.

She said the Agency was building a strong partnership with the Technical Universities in the country and asked the beneficiaries to use the items to start their businesses to improve on their socio-economic lives.

A beneficiary, Mercy Ankamah from Nsoatre in the Sunyani West Municipality commended the government for the opportunity, saying the training had benefited them a lot.