Some 10,000 businesses owned by young Ghanaian entrepreneurs, as well as 20,000 youth, are to benefit from the Government's Business and Employment Assistance Programme, being implemented by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA). It forms part of the Government's intervention to cushion young Ghanian entrepreneurs and provide more job opportunities for the youth in the midst of the global economic meltdown that adversely affected many businesses. The programme would aid Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) to grow and support skilled workers financially. It would also enable more youth to expand their businesses and pay salaries of those they would employ. Speaking at the launch of the programme in Sunyani, on Monday, Vice President Bawumia emphasised the importance of the youth to the national economy, and reiterated government's commitment to providing more opportunities to cushion those already in business and create more jobs for others. 'I am particularly excited about the relief this init iative will provide to the Ghanaian youth,' he said. 'The youth of this country are our greatest resource, and it is our collective duty to ensure that they are well positioned to make significant contributions to the economic development of our dear nation.' The Business and Employment Assistance Programme is the latest of the many job creation and business support interventions the Government is implementing through the YEA, to support the Ghanaian youth. Dr Bawumia mentioned several youth interventions being implemented by the Government, including the YouStart programme, which had been piloted successfully with GHS100 million disbursed this year alone. With other interventions, 21,000 youth have been engaged under the YEA's Community Police Assistants and Community Health Workers Module with 2,000 engaged under the Youth in ICT Module, in collaboration with the Ghana Digital Centre Ltd. Also, through YEA's partnership with the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, 15,000 Ghanaian youth had been trained in business skills, corporate compliances, and financial sustainability practices, while the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is also engaging 20,000 youth under Phase Two of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ). Additionally, the YEA, in partnership with the Ghana TVET Service and the Ghana Energy Commission, would train 20,000 artisans as plumbers, tilers, masons, beauticians, fabricators, glazing workers, carpenters, and electricians. The beneficiaries would be duly certified after the training and provided with the requisite tools and equipment to set up their own enterprises. Mr Kofi Agyapong, the Chief Executive Officer of the YEA, said the YEA would continue to strengthen existing modules and create more opportunities in the Agency's quest to create jobs for the youth. Source: Ghana News Agency