The African Development Organization for Migration (AFDOM) has graduated 89 youth on vocational skills training to enable them to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country.
They included 79 young females and 10 young males, who would now start their own businesses after three years of training under the AFDOM project.
It was on the theme: “AFDOM Village of Hope II Returnee Migrant Rehabilitation Centre for Protection of Reintegration and Minimising Irregular Migration to Europe and Kayaye.”
Mr Munkaila Aminu, Executive Director of AFDOM, speaking during the graduation ceremony in Tamale, said the project, which was funded by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), was to empower youth with skills for self-employment and to reduce unemployment in the country.
Mr Aminu said the skills acquired would enable them to earn income to become financially independent, reduce poverty and also help to minimise the irregular migration to other countries to look for greener pastures.
He added that it would help to reduce the movement of the youth to southern Ghana to look for non-existing jobs.
Madam Abdul-Wahab Humaimatu, Head of Informal Apprenticeship Unit at Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service said people without skills had no prospects in the job market and therefore found it difficult to make a decent living and be empowered to contribute to national development.
She advised the youth to set up their own businesses in their localities as part of contributing to rural-urban development.
She advised parents and guardians to see skills training as a very good alternative to the grammar type of education.
Madam Theresa Baveng, Vice Chairperson of AFDOM, appealed to parents and guardians to support their children to grow their own businesses.
