Ghanaian Youth Minister promotes private sector postings at National Youth Forum

At the maiden National Youth Forum in Accra, Ghana's Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, pledged that the government will use youth-led ideas to shape national policy. The Minister emphasized that the forum is intended as a platform for listening to young people rather than merely presenting government programs, focusing on areas such as health, education, economic empowerment, and civic engagement.

Addressing employment transitions, Opare Addo urged National Service personnel to accept postings within the private sector. He cited data suggesting that those serving in government agencies face a 4-to-10-year wait for employment, whereas those in the private sector typically find jobs within 1 to 3 years. To facilitate this, the Ministry and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) are preparing to launch the GRICS programme, which will deploy a significant number of service personnel to private-sector organizations to improve their professional pathways.