The National Youth Authority has said it plans to organize a National Youth Entrepreneurship Competitions which shall seek to award young entrepreneurs with viable business proposals from every region in Ghana.

This was announced by Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Peter Boamah Otokunor at a Youth Dialogue Forum held at the University of Ghana Wednesday.

He said, the Authority has also instituted an Annual Youth Entrepreneurship and Jobs Bootcamps, the maiden edition to be held in Accra, Ho, Bolga and Tamale this year. This forms part of effort by government to promote youth employment and job creation. 

.He also added that, the competition forms part of its implementation of the National Youth Policy.

Mr Otokunor said, “they are to intensify skills and leadership training by introducing new models and improved curricula at our eleven (11) Training Institutes across the country. On the other hand, the Authority projects to establish youth credit initiatives not only for entrepreneurship and SME’s, but also to meet their basic needs such as health care needs, tuition, etc."

Adding that, the NYA, has settled on three-pronged perspectives to expand economic opportunities for youth. These are promoting youth entrepreneurship, skills and leadership training, Funding opportunities and volunteerism.

"...the youth volunteering and youth service programmes under the 'Youth Volunteer Development Camps' will serve to mitigating uncertainty among the youth, in that skills acquired in the camps and service programmes will be taken as part of experience as required by employers," he said. 

He also mentioned that, "the NYA is also working at instituting a Volunteer Unit under the NYA, where the youth can willingly offer themselves to be placed in volunteer capacities in various private and public institution. When this is done, private and public institutions could make official request for volunteers from the NYA to serve and act in various capacities. It will also help to engage, impact skills and work experience among young people."