Local Enterprise and Skills Development Program (LESDEP), a unique model for community development in Ghana, has been launched by the President, John Evans Atta Mills in Tamale on Wednesday. LESDEP would focus on training the unemployed to acquire viable skills that will eventually make them self-employed through a specialized hands-on training, within the shortest possible time in their localities. President Atta Mills expressed his delight about the launch of the programme, reiterating that LESDEP is in line with his government's vision of creating jobs for the youth. He promised the people in the region that the government would ensure that the region, like any other region, gets its fair share of the national cake. Meanwhile, the President has reminded the people of the area about their duty to uphold peace in the region to ensure that government’s development projects are completed on time for their own benefit. Speaking at the launch of the programme, the National Programs Manager of LESDEP, Mr. Adem Gariba, said the initiative is to serve as an employment creation avenue through which residents would acquire trade, vocational and other entrepreneurial skills. “It would also serve as a means of enhancing the socio-economic standards of the youth in the country…support SMEs to develop and play active roles in development programmes such as SADA, Oil and gas industry and also develop the informal sector as a means of contributing towards national development.” A programme desk, he said, has been set up at all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to register interested unemployed persons, especially the youth unto the programme. “Our vision is to train and equip 20,000 unemployed people within the 170 Metropolitan, Municipal, Districts in the country by 2012,” he stated. The Programme Manager outlined some of the benefits LESDEP is expected to bring onboard:

• A world-class training facility balanced with an easy-to-understand training module
• The training is made available at no cost or at nominal costs to the participants
• State-of-the-art and easy to use trade machines have been lined up, which are pertinent to the socio-economic scenario of Ghana.
• The profitability of all ventures promoted is guaranteed as the trade machines are those which are absolutely needed for the development of Ghana

Mr. Adem Gariba noted: “I am happy to announce that so far 6,000 people have been enrolled….Additional 4,000 shall be recruited before the end of this year 2011.” Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana