The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment (MYDE) has handed over sixteen pick-up vehicles to the National Youth Authority (NYA) to support the effective implementation and monitoring of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP across the country.
At a brief handing-over ceremony, the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, Mr, George Opare Addo, said the vehicles are intended to support National Apprenticeship Coordinators in all sixteen regions to efficiently supervise master craft persons and apprentices.
He noted that improved mobility would enhance monitoring, strengthen coordination and ensure the timely achievement of the programme’s objectives.
Mr Opare Addo urged the coordinators to take proper care of the vehicles to ensure sustained benefits for apprentices under the programme.
He disclosed that tracking devices have been installed in all the vehicles to prevent misuse and ensure accountability, and cautioned the Chief Executive Officer of the NYA to closely supervise their use, stressing that management would be held responsible for any abuse.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Osman Ayariga, said the National Apprenticeship Programme is currently training about 14,000 beneficiaries nationwide, with plans to scale up to 100,000 trainees in line with the commitment of the President.
He emphasised that the success of any major programme depends on adequate logistics and investment, describing the provision of the vehicles as both timely and necessary.
According to Mr Ayariga, the vehicles will significantly enhance the work of regional coordinators and support the mandate entrusted to the Authority.
He added that the National Apprenticeship Programme goes beyond skills acquisition, serving as a key driver of industrialisation and a strategic initiative to position Ghana as a global hub for skills development.
Speaking on behalf of the regional coordinators, the Volta Regional Coordinator for NAP, Johnson Korbla Samlafo, expressed appreciation to MYDE and the NYA for the vehicles, noting that improved logistics would boost operational efficiency and strengthen the delivery of hands-on, skills-based training to apprentices nationwide.