NYEP Makes Inroads

The National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) has since in January 2009 undertaken activities aimed at streamlining and refocusing operations of the NYEP in order to create a sustainable employment and to offer safer exit support for beneficiary Ghanaian youth.
Over 108,000 unemployed youth have since January 2009 been recruited, trained and engaged in 15 employment modules and are providing social and economic services throughout the country.
The analysis of data on registered youth from the NYEP Regional and District Offices suggests that thousands of unemployed youth are anxiously waiting for NYEP job placement opportunities and urgent actions are required to meet these urgent social, economic and security challenges.
The Strategic Review Meeting of the National Youth Employment Programme, held at Meaglent hotel at Adenta in the Greater Accra Region from 17th-21st January 2011, having considered the present and future outlook of the NYEP and the challenges our youth recommended as follows:

1. A new 3-year strategic plan developed by NYEP be implemented to enhance significantly the engagement of 400,000 youth from the present 108,000 by the end of December 2013 to meet urgent challenge of youth unemployment as it impacts directly on national security and economic growth.
2. That the profile of NYEP be enhanced into the status of an Agency to reflect continuous delivery of programmes as a public sector development agency. NYEP will be known upon approval by appropriates authorities as the National Youth Employment and Development Agenda (NYEDA)
3. To facilitate the passing of appropriate legislation to further the delivery of NYEP statutory mandates.
4. That the Ministry of Youth and Sports approves for immediate implementation the new scheme and condition of services prepared in consultation with the Management Services Department of the Head of Civil Service to replace the existing one of 2006 and as recommended by the external auditor.
5. Humbly appeal to Government to honour the outstanding commitments to ADB to ensure their continuous support to the programme.
6. That the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning expedites the Cabinet decision to assign 60% of the Communication Services Tax to NYEP activities.
7. That the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning puts an appropriate mechanism in place to ensure timely releases of funds from the identified funding sources including NHIS, GET Fund, Road Fund, HIPC Fund.
8. Invite the general public to come out with proposals aiming at outsourcing the management of Community Education Teaching Assistants (CETA), Youth in Security and Health Extension Workers Modules to public and private sector management.

Hon. Abuga Pele
National Co-ordinator
National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP)