The Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), formerly NYEP, has launched a project in Koforidua, Eastern Region, aimed at training and employing some 10,000 youth across the country. The venture is dubbed the Community Motor Tricycle Project under the Youth in Community Transport Services and is in partnership with the Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme (ACI&EP), a private company which specializes in creating job opportunities for the youth. The Community Motor Tricycle Project will involve the use of purpose-made motor tricycles in the provision of diverse transport services at the community level, not including the transport of human beings. It is also expected to offer solutions to critical socio-economic needs such as the transportation of farm produce, goods in market areas and water supply in homes. GYEEDA Human Resources Director Selassie Attipoe, who read a speech on behalf of Executive Director Abuga Pele, described the project as another effort by the government to find sustainable job opportunities for active but unemployed youth. He said that Youth in Community Transport Services was borne out of the commitment by both private and public sector interests to create a platform to support sustainable self-employment ventures for Ghanaian youth at the community level. He assured the youth that the programme will combine practical, hands-on skills development and businesses with urban and rural components. Henry Kangah, the Executive Director of Asongtaba, praised GYEEDA for its confidence in ACI&EP. He said that the training of project beneficiaries is expected to last six months and will educate them in motor tricycle repairs, maintenance and assembly, fields in which some beneficiaries will eventually be employed via the project. Mr. Kangah announced that each region will train 1000 beneficiaries, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 10,000. He said that the ACI&EP also intends to establish an ultramodern motor tricycle assembling plant to build the vehicles locally. This move would provide permanent employment to an additional five thousand (5,000) Ghanaian youth. “These, we believe, will go a long way in ensuring that greater number of our youth is economically engaged so as to contribute meaningfully to the homes and communities where they live,” he added. He advised the youth to take advantage of the opportunity and help GYEEDA achieve its goals.