Foundation for Security Development in Ghana (FOSDA), has launched a report on Youth and Development Skills Initiatives in the country, to test its openness and relevance of the programme on the youth.
The critique was to identify the challenges of youth intervention programmes and propose ways of making them more accessible and relevant to marginalized youth through enhanced capacity of FOSDA and Youth groups, to engage in evidence based – advocacy at national and local levels.
The comprehensive review was on; Skills Development Fund, Youth Enterprise Support, Youth Employment Agency and National Service Scheme. The report found that the training programs are deployed in a way that makes it difficult for a beneficiary to have a full impact even though majority of the youth saw the programs as relevant. It also identified that men and women including those who are disabled do not have equal access to wage employment. The study identified problems including; irregularity in the payment of allowances, Political interference, lack of proper supervision and corruption.
Launching the report in Accra, Ms Afi Yakubu, Executive Director, FOSDA, observed that, the youth must engage in field trips to engage the authorities to improve on their doings for their development. She urged the youth to take up the challenge to make ask informed questions to the authorities and present their challenges. Ms Afi Yakubu quoted Kofi Annan saying: “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation, empowered; they can be key agent for development and peace. If however they are left on societies margins all of us have been impoverished, let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the likes of their societies,” she said.
Mr Kobena Woyome, the Chairman of the Parliament Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture, said the report had exposed some administrative challenges in the implementation of some of the programs. Mr Woyome said the report showed that the agencies are disjointed and there is the need to harmonize their activities so they would be able to know the effectiveness of some of the policies that are channeled and implemented. He said on the heart of Government it hopes to be curing an issue but then if there is the need for the programs to be reviewed, it would. He noted that in the area of legislation, Parliament has passed a number of laws and ratified Treaties, Protocols and Conventions aimed at promoting youth development.
“Last year, Parliament passed Youth Employment Agency Bill 2015 and currently before the House is the National Youth Scheme Bill 2016.” He said in exercising financial power, Parliament ensures that adequate budgetary allocations are approved to facilitate the implementation of policies and programs to address the challenges of the youth especially in the area of employment. The report has been delivered to Parliament and Authorities for consideration and implementation recommending access to marginalize and disadvantage, de-politicization of all skill development programs and improve quality of skills and training institutions.
FOSDA is a civil society organization with the mission to promote peace and human security by working to realize the lasting potential of communities and individuals through the systematic and effective sharing of information, knowledge and skills.
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