By Stanley Senya
Accra, March 21, GNA – Partnership For African Social And Governance Research (PASGR) has urged government to support and enable a conducive environment to sustain the entrepreneurial drive of Ghanaian youth to achieve economic growth.
PASGR is an organisation committed to enhancing research excellence in governance and public policy that contributes to the overall wellbeing of women and men.
Dr Thomas Yeboah, Lead Researcher, PASGR, speaking at a dissemination and engagement workshop on youth unemployment in Accra, said government must enable a comprehensive and holistic approach to promoting youth employment in Ghana.
He said the youth must be supported with financial capital to set up businesses by addressing the structural barriers of financial capital, viability of micro enterprises, market linkages and macro-economic instability.
He said efforts must also be geared toward equipping the youth with knowledge and skills in business plans and preparations to enable young people sustain their businesses.
He recommended a tailored approach to addressing the diverse nature of economic aspirations of youth in Ghana by creating a favourable macro-economic environment for the youth to encourage their business aspirations.
He said there must be a broad-based growth strategy through an industry policy to address the structural conditions of Ghana’s economy to transform the country.
He said government must create an expansion of formal sector employment by merging both formal and informal sectors to ensure the youth secured professional employment for the future.
Dr Yeboah said government must develop a bilateral agreement with countries, which needed labour assistance to facilitate the youth to work and gain the skills and resources to come back and establish themselves.
He called for social insurance and protection schemes to safeguard the businesses and assets of the youth against any potential future shocks.
He advised the youth to have a business idea and urged stakeholders and industry leaders to create a platform to mentor and coach them to be able to generate business ideas.
“We need to create awareness of financial literacy among the youth to enable them manage their businesses in a formal way”
Dr Yeboah said government must desist from attaching political and social connections to employment, business grants and loans for youth entrepreneurs.
“Over 60 per cent of young men and women have the idea of venturing into their own businesses, therefore government must secure financial support to the youth to aid in development,” he added.
GNA