Certificates don’t guarantee automatic jobs – AGI President

“What is happening to our youth now is that everyone wants to have a certificate; certificates don’t grant you jobs; it gives you opportunities. However, with a skill, ones chances are higher,” he stated.
He said the AGI wants to collaborate with government in every possible way to ensure that unemployment is addressed.
Dr Adu-Gyamfi said this when a team of national executives of AGI paid a courtesy call on the Eastern Regional Minister at Koforidua.
The courtesy call formed part of the association’s annual National Council Retreat and orientation, in Koforidua.
He said 600,000 children pass through basic education almost every year; however, only 300,000 get admissions to the senior high schools, out of which only 90,000 are admitted into the universities.
He called for the establishment of training centres across the country, where skills and development training could be given to the youth, and added that the AGI intends to champion that training.
This, he believes, will absorb the number that could not progress to the universities, so that they will be empowered through simple skills training to enable them to create jobs, as well as enhance entrepreneurship.
He appealed to the Minister to help the AGI to have an office in the region to facilitate its activities in the region.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Eric Kwakye Darfour, on his part, said his outfit was prepared to partner with the AGI in any way possible to provide avenues for jobs creation since unemployment leads to petty crimes in society.
He said there was the need to curb the importation of almost everything that we use as a country, to help stabilise the use of foreign currency.
He urged the AGI to take advantage of the ‘One District, One Factory’ initiative and add value to agricultural products for export.
The AGI delegation included Mr Humphrey Ayim Dake, vice-president, SMEs; Mrs Grace Amey Obeng, national treasurer; Mr Ralph Artittey, national executive member; Mr Seth Twum Akwaboah, CEO of AGI; and Mrs Kate Quartey-Papafio, chairperson for AGI, electrical sector.

-GNA