The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs, Sherif Ghali, has advised budding entrepreneurs to take advantage of job openings to help them raise capital and acquire the needed skills and experience to become entrepreneurs on their own.
According to him, this is the surest way to get capital – given the difficulties start-ups face in getting funding.
“In Ghana, it is difficult to access capital to start a business; so we need to advise them [entrepreneurs] to start working with people and get a little knowledge and capital to start their own businesses, as you cannot be an entrepreneur without capital.
“You help a young person get a job and you further motivate them to do well, learn from the job and later become an entrepreneur; and this will help them grow better. So, when you start without any experience that’s when you tend to fail,” he said.
Mr. Ghali was speaking at a two-day CV Review Clinic ahead of the GrEEN Job Fair in Kumasi, organised as part of the Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities (GrEEn) Project funded by the European Union in Ghana and co-implemented by SNV Ghana and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
At the CV Review Clinic, CVs of about 200 jobseekers were edited to suit what employers are looking for. They also received relevant training on how to be prepared for the job market.
Speaking further on the CV Review Clinic, Mr. Ghali indicated that human resource experts were present to attend to each jobseeker, helping modify their CVs to meet job specifications.
Apart from getting their CVs modified at the, jobseekers were briefed on some of Ghana’s labour laws as well as workers’ rights, protection and privileges.
Some jobseekers at the event told B&FT the clinic had been insightful, explaining that some unnecessary details on their CVs had been taken out. They expressed optimism that with their modified CVs and the little training given to them, they will be ready for job opportunities.
About GrEEn Project
The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project is a four-year action from the European Union, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The project aims at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses and providing employable skills training to youth jobseekers in two selected regions of Ghana – Ashanti and Western – in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.
GrEEn is implemented under the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa with a total contribution of €20,600,000.
