LESDEP gives start-up kits to trained youth(Thursday, March 1, 2012 )

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga 527 youth trained in various trade vocations under the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) in the Upper East Region have been presented with start-up kits to enable them irk out a living. The beneficiaries who have been trained in mobile phone repairs, beauty care service, hair dressing, catering services, barbering services and rural transport services, were presented with complete set of tool kits related to their various vocation among which were embroidery machines, industrial machines, mobile phone repair kits, household sewing machines, barbering kit, hair dryers, sterilizers and multipurpose tri-wheeler vans. Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Bolgatanga during the handing over ceremony, the Regional Coordinator of the Programme, Mr. Robert Agaab said the beneficial have between two months to two years to payback the cost of the equipment which is a form of a revolving loan in order that others also benefit from the programme. Mr. Agaab explained that LESDEP, which was partnering with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, apart from training to the youth, also ensures that they were helped with the necessary logistics after training to commence their work. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo who handed over the items to the beneficiaries said the intervention is no doubt a fulfillment of the Better Ghana agenda drive of the government and commended the beneficiaries for availing themselves for the programmes. He said the programme targets the training and equipping of 20,000 clients nationwide by the end of 2012 adding that it has already trained not less than 12,000 unemployed Ghanaians in the areas of mobile phone repairs, catering services, ICT, barbering, dressmaking, beauty care, beads making, Agro processing, event management, welding and fabrication amongst others. Mr. Woyongo said due to the importance government attaches to the programme, it has allocated an amount of GH c 84 million in the 2012 budget to LESDEP to assist in the job creation drive to Ghanaians. “The concept of LESDEP has therefore come at a time when the teeming youth are seeking avenues for employment. In this vein, I task the youth particularly the serious ones to take advantage of this important and get enrolled”, he said. -End-