EU to Launch Two Initiatives to Support Young Ghanaian Jobseekers

The European Union (EU) has announced the launch of two initiatives to support young Ghanaian jobseekers. The EU-Ghana Pact for Skills, worth €25 million, and the Jobs, Migration and Development project, worth €9 million, will help address the high rate of youth unemployment in the country. The announcement was made by the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Razaaly, during the Europe Day celebration in Accra.

The EU-Ghana Pact for Skills will provide training and skills development for young Ghanaians, while the Jobs, Migration and Development project will offer direct support to returning migrants and Ghanaians seeking jobs and training opportunities in Ghana and Europe. The Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development was also recently launched by the Union in collaboration with Germany and the Ghanaian government to provide direct support to young jobseekers.

Mr Razaaly noted that young people in Ghana were ready to seize new opportunities, and the EU had invested over €3 billion in youth, skills and education projects in Africa. In Ghana, the Union supports over 100,000 young jobseekers through various projects. He added that the EU had observed an increasing interest in learning among young people, with the ever-increasing applications to the EU’s Erasmus+ programme.

The EU’s Erasmus+ programme has sent 45 talented Ghanaian students to European universities, the highest number of Ghanaian students to participate in the programme. Additionally, hundreds of Ghanaian students will benefit from high-quality training and support to enter the competitive job market. The EU is committed to fostering long-lasting links between Ghana and Europe and providing opportunities for exchanges and investments.

The Union is also supporting over 500 young entrepreneurs and youth-led enterprises through the GrEEn and WACOMP projects, which are jointly worth €26.8 million. Mr Mustapha Ussif, Ghana’s Minister of Youth and Sports, expressed his gratitude to the EU for its continuous support of Ghana’s youth through the provision of scholarships for Ghanaian students to study in various European universities.

For the most part, the EU’s initiatives are aimed at addressing the high rate of youth unemployment in Ghana by providing training and skills development opportunities. The EU has observed the readiness of young Ghanaians to take on new opportunities, and it is committed to investing in youth, skills and education projects in Africa.

Through its Erasmus+ programme, hundreds of Ghanaian students will benefit from high-quality training and support to enter a competitive job market. The EU is also committed to fostering long-lasting links between Ghana and Europe and providing opportunities for exchanges and investments.