By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, Nov.30, GNA – The European Union Ghana has organised youth engagement forums for youth group leaders across the country to equip them with the requisite skills to support decision and policy making processes.
Ms Anna Lixi. Head of Governance and Security, EU Ghana, said the forum organised in Tamale, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Accra, was also to engage the youth in dialogue and help them to improve their employability competencies and skills in order to be able to easily attain jobs and education easily in Europe.
She said the action was part of a broader strategy and action plan of the EU for the youth in Ghana because not only are they the future leaders, they are also to get more involved in the decision making process of their own country to promote an all-inclusive development.
“They need to influence opinion by knowing how to intervene in processes. They also need a know-how to support the next generation of Ghanaians .
The engagement, she said, was also a partnership to raise the profile of young ones, help them to know the challenges of tomorrow and give them a possibility to acquire a reputation in Europe.
Other efforts of the EU to promote youth engagement, Ms Lixi said was to set up the Youth Sounding Board to enable young people to have an influence on national internal actions and international partnerships..
“The youth sounding board is a board organised by the EU for dialogue globally and a lady called Stephanie, a graduate at the University of Development Studies Medical School is representing Ghana. We will, however, want to set up the same Board here in Ghana within the next five to six months,” she added.
Mr Emmanuel Odonkor, a Youth Development Expert, said a Strategy and Policy document to promote youth engagements in the country, had been developed in that regard.
He said the engagement was also to enable the EU and stakeholders listen to the challenges of young people in the country and seek their input on how to support the nation building agenda.
The EU through the initiative also had training, job provision and capacity building opportunities for Civil Society Organisations that were youth-centred, he noted.
“There are other competitions such as the Circular Economy which was organised years back, and we are preparing to have a second launch of it. These are some opportunities that come on board that we intend to make known to the Ghanaian youth,” he added.
GNA