By Iddi Yire, GNA
Accra, Oct. 21, GNA – Mr Malik Basintale, Chief Executive Officer, Youth Employment Agency on Wednesday said the Agency has increased beneficiary recruitment by 566.67 per cent since he assumed office in February, 2025.
He noted that this represented a remarkable expansion in the number of young Ghanaians accessing employment opportunities through the Agency.
“For me, these are not merely statistics on paper. They represent real people, real livelihoods and real opportunities for young men and women who deserve a fair chance to contribute to the development of our country,” Mr Basintale said in his remarks when he took his turn at the Government Accountability Series Press Corps held at the Presidency in Accra.
Highlighting six significant milestones recorded since he assumed office in February 2025, with regards to the payment of beneficiaries’ allowances, Mr Basintale said they recognised very early that creating employment opportunities must go hand in hand with improving the welfare of beneficiaries.
He said under his stewardship, monthly beneficiary allowances had been increased from GH¢500 to GH¢800, representing a 60 per cent increment at the directive of President John Dramani Mahama.
“We believe that the dignity of labour must be reflected, as much as practicable, in the remuneration and welfare of those who work, and we are doing just that,” Mr Basintale said.
The Chief Executive Officer said one of the longstanding concerns about youth employment interventions had been what happens to beneficiaries after their engagement periods expire.
He reported that they had taken a significant step towards addressing this
challenge by securing retention agreements with the security agencies, providing for the absorption of at least 60 per cent of beneficiaries after their two-year engagement.
“Our vision is simple: youth employment must increasingly become a bridge to lasting careers, rather than a temporary response to unemployment,” he stated.
Mr Basintale said they had also placed considerable emphasis on improving the regularity and timeliness of beneficiary allowance payments.
He explained that they had recognised that young people who committed themselves to public service deserve predictable remuneration, without having to endure prolonged and unnecessary delays.
He said although challenges remained, they continued to strengthen their payment arrangements because the welfare of their beneficiaries remained a central priority.
Mr Basintale said in keeping with the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy, they had facilitated the development of an innovative digital platform known as JobConnectz through a strategic partnership.
He said this application was designed to connect skilled young people trained under their programmes with individuals and businesses requiring their services across the country.
Mr Basintale said essentially, they were creating a marketplace where skills could meet opportunities at the touch of a button.
“We want to ensure that the skills acquired by our beneficiaries do not remain idle, but translate into actual jobs, incomes and sustainable livelihoods.”
Mr Basintale said they had also expanded their employment interventions beyond the shores of Ghana through the introduction of the Labour Exchange Programme, saying, over 1,000 beneficiaries have so far been recruited for employment opportunities in different countries.
He said beyond the commendable statistics, their objective remained to ensure that young Ghanaians had access to opportunities through which they could acquire practical skills, gain relevant work experience, earn incomes and improve their economic circumstances.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei