‘More jobs coming’ – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians that his government will address the perennial unemployment challenge that has bedeviled the country.

“This year, we will see vigorous job creation in the public sectors beginning with the recruitment of 100,000 young men and women in the Nation Builders Corp.

“What I am seeking above all is a rapid growth for private sector jobs both in industry and in agriculture. For instance in the programme for Planting for Food and Jobs which will generate a lot of rural sector jobs,” Mr Akufo-Addo said while delivering the keynote address at the 61st Independence Day ceremony on Tuesday, 6 March.

The creation of jobs has been a major concern with the Minority in parliament, constantly demanding the number of jobs created by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government since taking office.

The Nation Builders Corps programme that will start the job creation agenda, is focused on solving public service delivery in the health, education, agriculture and sanitation sectors as well as drive revenue mobilisation and collection.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta had earlier announced in his presentation of the 2018 budget, that under the programme, graduates will be trained, equipped with the necessary work tools and deployed around the country to be engaged in the five sectors of the economy.

According to him, the Nation Builders Corps will be housed under the Office of the President as a special initiative and on average, every district will provide jobs for 462 graduates.

The five sectors

Graduate teachers will be enrolled on a “Teach Ghana” program focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology and Mathematics (STEM) and other relevant subjects in primary and secondary schools across the country.

Sanitation Inspectors will be enrolled on a “Clean Ghana” program focused on enforcing sanitation laws and inspection to ensure clean communities.

Trained nurses and other healthcare workers under the “Heal Ghana” program will be employed to provide healthcare delivery to deprived and rural communities across Ghana.

Trained Agricultural extension and other allied workers under the “Feed Ghana” program will be hired to provide extensive support to farmers along the agriculture value chains.

Tertiary graduates in a “Revenue Ghana” program will be employed to mobilise the youth to collect taxes that have been difficult to mobilise and enforce collection for the development of Ghana.