The European Union has so far invested 26 million euros in the Ghana Employment and Social Protection Programme for the past four years.

The Ghana Employment and Social Protection Programme is an initiative aimed at contributing to inclusive and equitable growth by strengthening social protection and employment systems.

Speaking at the closing conference of the programme, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Ghana, Massimo Mina, indicated that the pilot stage of the programme, which focused on building skills has been successful, hence they looking forward to returning to address other issues like digitalisation.

“This was a pilot programme but it was a very substantial project in the order of 26 million euros. It’s also a complex project which lasted more than four years. I think it really allowed the key elements of our corporation. It’s a very ambitious programme and we’re now building for the next cycle of the programme for the period 2021 to 2027,” he said

Team Leader for the Technical Advisory Team of the Ghana Employment and Social Protection Programme, Sharon Hall, highlighted some achievements of the programme.

“The biggest achievement that we have is the productive inclusion programme that we have established. We have trained 275 people and we have also provided tool kits for them in order for them to make a business and to ensure that they go forward,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Director-General of Ghana TVET Service, Mawusi Nudekor Awity reiterated that technical and vocational education and training is the country’s best bet to addressing unemployment.

“The GESP programme is such a laudable one. That is what the country actually needs. We have so many abled people, yet there’s a lot of unemployment in the country. It’s only TVET that can solve the unemployment situation,” she emphasised.

The closing conference for the Ghana Employment and Social Protection Programme was themed “Strengthening Social Protection through Capacity Building, Productive Inclusion and Social Accountability”.