MP provides part of Common Fund for youth training

Tema, Oct. 04 GNA - Mr Abraham Osei Aiddo, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema West constituency, on Saturday said has set provided 37.2 million cedis from his share of the MPs Common Fund as an initial deposit for the training of 80 youth in various vocations to last for three years. Speaking at the launch of the "free facility" to train unemployed youth in the area in Tema, the MP said giving practical meaning to poverty reduction among the unemployed youth has been his objective. Mr Aiddo said his initiative was aimed at creating employment for the youth and promised to pay the full cost of the training of the youth.

The beneficiaries, both males and females were given monies ranging between 300,000 cedis and 500,000 cedis each to enable them to acquire skills in hairdressing, dressing making, batik/tie-dye making, spraying, welding, and photography. Mr Aiddo said he had assisted the youth in to acquire employable skills adding that a total 103 youth have received free training with some graduating from the Regional Maritime Academy and gaining employment with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority. The MP said he was considering other sources of funding to enable him to sustain the training programme. Mr Aiddo said: "Whether I remain the MP or not, I will ensure the sustenance of this project which I see as the only means of supporting the youth".

The MP said he was grateful to the GRATIS FOUNDATION for training some of the youth in the area as well as the masters and mistresses of training shops who have waived off conditions for entering into apprenticeship. He said the country needed a comprehensive health policy and advised the youth to embrace the Health Insurance Scheme. Mr Peter Tweneboah Kodua, a Principal Social Welfare Officer, entreated heads of training shops to give moral training to their apprentices. Kwaku Mohammed, a 19-year-old JSS leaver, commended Mr Aiddo for taken steps to solve the unemployment problem of the youth.