Involving the youth in policy formulation will no doubt encourage them to become more active members of a democratic society like Ghana.

But many factors continue to prevent them from participating in the processes involved in taking decisions that have implications for their future wellbeing.

Many stakeholders, have therefore decided to initiate steps to help address this shortcoming. The objective is to afford the youth in the country, an opportunity to contribute to the development of policies that would inure to their benefit.

It is against this background that, ActionAid and National Youth Authority organised a stakeholders youth forum at Goaso, in the Ahafo Region, to find solutions for the high rate of unemployment among the youth. The approach adopted is to seek the solutions with the active involvement of the youth .

Funded by Medicor Foundation in Liechtenstein, and European country, the forum was themed; “Providing Employment Opportunities for Young people in Ghana”.

In his address, the Programme Officer of ActionAid Ghana, with responsibilities for Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions, Kwame Afram Denkyira, said, "Each year, while about 300,000 young people enter the labour market, only 2% (less than 6,000) of them find formal employment".

Mr Afram noted that despite major investments by both government and the private sector, unemployment would remain a challenge if more job opportunities are not created.

The alarming unemployment situation encourages mass migration of the youth to urban areas in searching of work. Others are compelled to travel to Europe through illegal and unsafe means.

Mr Afram explained that as a strategy, ActionAid Ghana now considers working with the youth and women as critical to ensuring sustainable development and social justice.

"It is clear that the youth have the best understanding of the realities of their own lives, including the challenges associated with finding a decent job, and as such, have much to offer policymakers", he said.

He averred that the youth’s participation in decision and policy making would encourage them to become active members of society.  

"It is, therefore, time to swell the decision-making process and get the youth and women to participate in our community, district, and at the national levels as clearly stated in the Africa Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance".  

Kwame Afram Denkyira further explained that to be able to bring about the expected reduction in poverty among young people, bottlenecks such as lack of education and skills development opportunities, exclusion from community decision-making processes, lack of access to credit and resources, and ingrained negative cultural attitudes towards the creativity and capability of young people must be removed.

He said in the quest to ensure social justice, ActionAid is currently training and equipping 500 young people in four districts in the Northern, Upper East, and Ahafo Regions of Ghana.

In the Ahafo Region, for instance, they have recently trained 131 young people in five artisanal areas of their choice (Auto-mechanic, Pastry, Bead/Sandal work, soap making, and tiling) and provided startup tools and materials for them to start their small businesses to help them generate their income and become self-sustaining.

He, however, believes that with a common purpose and tenacity, all stakeholders, including government, youth groups, communities, and other development partners like NGOs/CSOs and donors, can collectively work together to fight this canker and move the nation forward.

On her part, the Ahafo Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, Fati Bamba, said their engagement with the youth in the Asutifi North district highlighted youth unemployment, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, and bad roads as major issues that require urgent attention.

She said the Authority would continue to work with the stakeholders to sustain the various interventions aimed at helping the youth out of poverty while appealing to other developing partners for more support.