Some 3,200 young people who have completed the British Council’s entrepreneurial training program dubbed 'Jobs for Youth – Migration and Employment Project' have been passed out at an event in Accra.

The programme, which was held at the Accra International Conference Centre, is in line with the British Government's commitment to creating jobs and reducing youth unemployment.

The 9-month programme involved an incubation and mentorship session and trained participants in creative and innovative ways to create jobs.

As part of the programme, a one-day trade exhibition was organised to showcase the works of the participants that created a platform to network with patrons.

Coordinators of the project hope to provide young Ghanaians with holistic learning and development opportunities to create jobs for themselves and others leveraging on their core skills and the local economic opportunities.

The project is funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit(GIZ) and is managed by the British Council.

It is targeted at Ghanaians who are between 18 to 35 years (including returnee migrants, young women, out of school youth, under-represented individuals) within urban districts of Accra, Kumasi and Sunyani.

Components

All 3,200 successful applicants received a five-day entrepreneurship training.

Incubation: 400 start-ups of entrepreneurs who have completed ideation and have been selected through a pitch competition receive four months of business incubation services.

Acceleration: 90 businesses of entrepreneurs who have completed incubation and have been selected through a pitch competition receive 3 months of business acceleration services

Participants benefited from pitching their businesses to a panel comprising business development specialists to give them feedback on their businesses for future opportunities.

Sharing her experience with JoyNews, Barbara Adams said her idea during the period has led to the creation of a job that employs nine people.

Barbara is a graduate from Takoradi Polytechnic and one of the top ten winners of the annual Presidential Pitch program organised by the Ministry of Business Development.

“I like to play a lot with food and therefore decided to make a healthier breakfast  the local way with fruits mashed kenkey,” said Barbara Adams

Barbara praised the  British Council for developing a better future for young people and said the program has been very helpful.