The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has commenced disbursing funds to beneficiaries under its newly-launched Youth in Garment and Textiles Module.
The disbursements began yesterday, August 30, and will end in the middle of September 2023. All shortlisted applicants across the country will have received their funds by the stated date, YEA said in a statement.
Ahead of the disbursement, YEA insisted that all beneficiary companies must have active bank accounts – noting that the funds will not be paid in cash or through mobile money.
The payments are made in the company’s name submitted to the Agency with an account in a duly recognised commercial bank, it said. So far, some 2000 trainees, 500 small-scale dressmaking companies and 40 industrial garment and textile shortlisted companies have received their support.
About the Youth in Garment and Textiles Module
The Youth in Garment and Textiles Module was launched on 14 August 2023 in the Ashanti Region capital, Kumasi, to create sustainable employment opportunities.
The module aims at bridging the skills-gap as well as creating sustainable employment opportunities for young people interested in tailoring or dressmaking, ultimately contributing to growth and development.
It has been carefully designed to allow beneficiaries receive in-depth knowledge and hands-on training in various aspects of tailoring and dressmaking; including fabric selection, cutting techniques, sewing, garment construction, pattern-making and alterations.
The beneficiaries will be trained by big garment companies and micro/small-scale seamstresses and tailors.
As part of the programme, YEA is supporting large garment companies with between GH₵100,000 and GH₵200,000.
The financial support also sees micro/small-scale seamstresses and tailors receive GH₵10,000 each to enable them to train the beneficiaries.
In addition to this, beneficiaries will also be provided with monthly stipends throughout their training, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YEA, Kofi Baah Agyepong, said at the programme’s launch.
According to him, YEA has surpassed its set targets and is poised to introduce other innovative ideas by creating an additional 31,600 job opportunities for the youth of Ghana in 2023.
It is against this background that he noted additional funding to the Agency will be required to make all of its strategic visions realisable.
