Sefwi Wiawso/Akontombra: National Youth Authority Embarked On A Step Project

With a total of Forty (40) beneficiaries from the two districts, the National Youth Authority (NYA) carried a Skill Toward Employability and Productivity (STEP) project which intends to equip selected youths in these communities with employable and productive skills, in line with Sustainable Development Goal Eight (SDG 8).
 
The STEP project is a program designed by the National Youth Authority (NYA) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, aiming to elevate capacity and equip them to be more productive and self-reliant.
 
As part of the programme, the Authority catered for the entire cost involved in securing Master Craftsmen for the training. Also, it provided all the needed equipment that will aid the beneficiaries in maximizing the training experience.
 
Citing the technical and vocational advancements of countries like China and India, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Mr. Nelson Owusu Ansah emphasized the numerous opportunities of TVET to the unemployed mass of youths in the country.
 
Speaking on the STEP project, Mr. Nelson Owusu Ansah emphasized that the project may not reach every single individual across the length and breadth of the region, however, what is of necessary is the commencement of such a project and to empower beneficiaries to expand and include others.
 
Among others, the event saw the presence of the Deputy CEO of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Western North Regional Director of NYA, Mr. Desmond Maclean, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Sefwi Wiawso Municipality, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sefwi Akontombra, Dr. Kwame Afriyie, CEO of Greenshield Hospitals, Pastor Joseph Ackah-Miezah, President of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church Western North Conference, Chief of Sefwi Ahwiam, Nana Yaw Kwarteng II.
 
The Skill Toward Employability and Productivity (STEP) project, Mr. Nelson Owusu Ansah said, will commence with employable skills in four areas, including Fashion design (Dressmaking), Hairdressing, Cosmetology, and Digital Satellite installation.
 
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Officer of the Sefwi Municipal, Hon. Louis Owusu-Agyepong, while appreciating the intervention, also sent appealed to the Master Craftsmen to ensure the trainees are equipped with all the relevant skills as well as any secret tips that will be essential for their training.
 
The Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, Mr. Maclean Desmond, encouraged beneficiaries of the STEP project to appreciate the government's commitment to the course and utilize the opportunity profitably. Adding to that, he indicated the directorate's doors are opened to receive their concerns and to offer any other assistance they may need.
 
Adding to the discourse, the Chairman of the event, Nana Yaw Kwarteng II, stressed on government's inability to create white-collar jobs for everyone, hence the need to embrace technical and vocational education as an equally important channel to creating sustainable livelihood.
 
The training is expected to last over a period of three (3) years to six (6) months, where beneficiaries would be taken through the different modules of their respective training.