The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development is to roll out a specialized entrepreneurship training programme for viable enterprises to maximize the use of local resources for wealth creation. It will be run by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) under the Competency-based Economies through Formation of Enterprises (CEFE). Sector Minister, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo says the pilot project will target 500 young budding and existing entrepreneurs from all ten regions of the country. “Through very practical methods, the CEFE training enhanced such competencies as entrepreneurial skills, finding the best business ideas, markets and marketing, financial planning, production and organization and improving business plans,” he observed at the Youth Entrepreneurship Fair in Kumasi. The Minister, who was represented by Irene Messiba, a Director at the Ministry, said the project is part of strategies being pursued to encourage local economic development through self-employment, innovation and creativity. The Ministry is targeting over 1,000 people in three series of youth fairs aimed at sensitizing the youth on entrepreneurship and self-employment prospects. Young graduates participating in the fair have an opportunity to access and understand the mechanics of the job market. “The whole idea of the fair is to promote self-employment as a viable option for young people in the world of work,” said Mr. Ampofo. The programme is a public-private partnership aimed at offering business support to young graduates through the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP). The two-day fair in Kumasi, under the theme “Self Employment as a Viable Post-Graduation Option”, attracted over 200 participants. Speakers at the forum, including Bernard Joe Appeah of PENTAX Limited and EMPTREC Ghana’s Nana Tweneboa-Boateng schooled participants on entrepreneurship as a viable option in self-employment. There is also an ongoing assessment to provide relevant baseline information and to generate ideas from the youth on how best to work with local authorities. The fair is organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, the National Youth Authority, the Ghana Employers Association and the Association of Ghana Industries.