The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) last Friday commenced training for over 500 personnel as Prison Office Assistants (POA) at the Prison Officers’ Training School in Ankaful in partnership with the Ghana Prisons Service.

The personnel currently under training, form part of the over 2000 young men and women who are being recruited across the country to support the Prisons Service in delivering their mandate of transforming inmates into socially acceptable characters suitable for reintegration and conducive cohabitation in society.

At the opening ceremony, the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) of YEA, Bashiru Ibrahim, speaking on behalf of the CEO, Kofi Baah Agyepong, admonished the trainees to show commitment, dedication and love for mother Ghana as they go through training to become part of one of the highly-rated disciplined institutions, the Ghana Prisons Service.

"Many a time, we look down on our prisons as a place where condemned members of society are kept. In as much as it may appear so, there is an arduous responsibility on us to help change these persons into new characters suitable for conducive cohabitation in society.

"Today, a modern prison is not just a place for custody but a place to reform, rehabilitate and reintegrate social deviants back into society. It is my understanding that this training is tailored to achieve just that", Alhaji Bashiru quoted.

He further assured them of YEA’s novel arrangement with the leadership of the Ghana Prisons Service, to absorb all POAs into their mainstream service, after they have successfully served their two years contract with the YEA as part of the exit plan.

The exit plan is a super strategy instituted by the management of YEA to find permanent jobs for the beneficiaries.

On behalf of the Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service, the Director of Human Resources congratulated the new recruits for making it through all the processes that qualify them to participate in the training to become Prison Office Assistants of the Youth Employment Agency and the Ghana Prisons Service.

He assured that the trainers will instil in the personnel maximum discipline, dedication and service to mother Ghana.

As a key stakeholder of the Criminal Justice System of Ghana contributing to the maintenance of internal security by maintaining an efficient, humane, and safe reformatory penal system operated within the laws of Ghana, it is expected that the personnel will work with vigilance, fortitude, and integrity while helping in the reintegration of ex-convicts into society.

Speaking to the media, the Central Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency, Sarah Afful, stated that the second batch of recruits is expected to begin training after successful application and shortlisting.

Providing decent and sustainable jobs is the focus of the vision of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the youth of this country.

The YEA will continue to provide a smooth vehicle to produce the desired result.