By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Dec. 06, GNA – Mr Massimo Mina, Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of European Union (EU) to Ghana, says the EU is committed to the support and empowerment of Ghanaian youth to fulfil their future ambitions.
He said youth empowerment remained a priority of the European Union (EU) as the organisation worked with national and international partners to improve the unemployment situation in Ghana.
He was speaking at a youth employment and entrepreneurship session organised in Accra by the Centre for European Studies at the University of Ghana in collaboration with the European Union to Ghana, DAAD Ghana, and Campus France.
The seminar was to expose Ghanaian students to study opportunities abroad and create an opportunity for students to interact with accomplished entrepreneurs.
Mr Mina said the event at the University of Ghana was the final round of Study in Europe Roadshows organised this year in four universities; Accra Technical University, Tamale Technical University, University of Professional Studies (UPSA) and University of Cape Coast.
About 1000 students, he indicated, had attended the previous sessions to learn about opportunities for mobility and cooperation with European Universities.
He noted that 60 Ghanaian students gained admission into European universities under EU’s Erasmus+ scholarship programme in 2023, the highest number recorded.
The Head of Cooperation said the EU was responding to the needs of Ghanaian youth through the Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development established to support Ghanaians looking for jobs and training in Ghana and Europe.
Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, Director of the Centre for European Studies, UG, said the information session, in line with the mandate of the centre, would inspire students to start their own businesses and help ease the unemployment burden on the Government.
“We want to build the capacity of our students, let them be self-sufficient and be ambassadors of the school and contribute towards the development agenda of the country,” he stated.
Professor Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost, College of Humanities, UG, reiterated the importance of skills training and employment and commended the EU for the initiative and support.
Professor Seidu Alidu, Head of the Political Science Department, UG, said the sessions had the potential to help students make the right choices.
The discussions had some entrepreneurs share experiences on starting a business and how exposure gained from studying abroad had helped them throughout the years.
Mr Stephen Eku, Founder, Emigoh Ghana Limited, urged upcoming entrepreneurs to be patient on their journey and take advantage of networking and study opportunities.
Ms Victoria Agbai, Trade Advisor and Founder of Bubune Africa, highlighted aspects of her business and advised the students to acquire new skills which would be useful in future.
Mr Gilbert Owusu, Team Lead for Revelstoke Group, also asked entrepreneurs to experiment with new ideas until the “vision becomes clearer” to be implemented.
Ms Paulina Adjei, Programmes Officer, Results for Development, encouraged young people to yearn for success and avail themselves of new knowledge.
GNA