Government is hoping to bridge the skills gap of the youth with the introduction of the Jobs and Skills Project from next year, Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, announced on Wednesday.
The move is aimed at supporting apprenticeships and competency-based curriculum development in over 100 trade areas.
“In furtherance of Government’s Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) agenda, next year will witness the start of the jobs and skills project to support apprenticeships and competency-based training curriculum development in over 100 trade areas and entrepreneurship,” Ofori-Atta revealed in Parliament during the presentation of the 2021 first quarter budget.
He also announced the roll out of the flagship state of the art TVET centers in all 16 regions of the country. The centers are expected to be fully equipped with modern training facilities in 33 professions across 11 economic sectors.
The World Bank earlier announced it will be supporting government with $200 million to empower micro enterprises and enhance skills of entrepreneurs as part of the economic recovery from COVID-19 crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to push an additional 88 million to 115 million people into extreme poverty this year, with the numbers rising to as many as 150 million by next year, the World Bank said in a report.
Meanwhile, government is requesting to spend an amount of GH¢27.4 billion for essential business in the first quarter of the 2021 Financial Year.
“This is for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government in respect of the period expiring three months from the beginning of the financial year or on the coming into operation of the Appropriation Act in respect of the 2021 financial year,” he said.
The total amount is to cover government operations, such as compensation of employees, ex gratia awards, interest and amortization payments, transfers to statutory funds, critical programmes and goods and services, and Capex allocations of Municipal and District Assembly’s (MDAs).
However, the minority in parliament has described the GHS27.4 billion request as outrageous.
Fred Dzakpata
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