THIRTEEN thousand, nine hundred and eighty-one people have been employed under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) in the Volta Region since its inception two years ago.
The programme has contributed to the improvement of the socio-economic lives of the youth and also made them gain experience in the transit from unemployment to full employment within the two years.
The Deputy Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Nayan made this known when he addressed a large number of the beneficiaries of the programme after they had undertaken a float at Ho on Thursday to mark the second anniversary of the NYEP.
According to him, 3,806 people were employed in community education and teaching, 1,012 as health extension workers, 920 in waste management, 7,135 in youth in agriculture business, 83 in internship, 227 in voluntary service while 48 of them were engaged in forestry plantation.
He said the participation of school drop outs and unskilled personnel in the programme, had widened the scope of beneficiaries, adding that the role being played by the waste and sanitation management sector of the NYEP, had resulted in improvement of sanitation in some towns and cities.
Mr Nayan, however, stated that the greatest challenge confronting the programme was the delay in the release of funds for the payment of allowances to beneficiaries.
He said that setback had been resolved following an agreement between the NYEP and the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to credit the accounts of beneficiaries on monthly basis.
The deputy regional minister said the programme would continue to be a guide for the government to continue to address any major drawbacks to employment issues and to make progress towards achieving the objectives of the programme by laying a good foundation for the socio-economic transformation of the nation.
He commended pioneers of the programme and urged them to remain focused and committed, adding “You must be aware of the fact that the programme does not provide permanent employment by itself but only serves as a means to permanent employment”.
Mr Nayan reiterated the need for them to uphold and cherish the peace and tranquillity the nation had enjoyed so far since elections were not a matter of life or death but to provide an opportunity for the electorate to make a choice based on their convictions.
He, therefore, appealed to the youth to be civil and exercise maturity and decorum in the conduct of political campaigns to ensure that the nation’s young democracy was protected.
In a welcoming address, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Mawutor Goh said the government had placed premium on the development of the youth, adding that the NYEP programme was designed to serve the rural communities.
He, therefore, implored communities to team up with the NYEP workers to give credence to dignity in labour and also to establish that it was an act of nobility and an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership qualities.
Mr Goh commended the beneficiaries of the NYEP on their achievements, adding that the programme had offered them the opportunity to carry out with their selected vocations.
During the float, the participants carried placards some of which read: “The future is bright through NYEP”, “Thank you NYEP”, “NYEP is a stepping stone to a higher height”, “What else can we say, thank you government”.
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