YouStart deserves support of all to succeed

YouStart, the government’s flagship youth entrepreneurship support programme meant to begin a new phase to create one of the biggest opportunities for the youth of the country, will take off next month.

This is after the programme, which has been widely embraced by many, was successfully piloted in the northern and the southern sectors of the country.

With about GH¢10 billion funding, the programme is expected to create about one million jobs for the youth in the next three years as part of a deliberate effort by the government to tackle the unemployment situation in the country head-on.

It comes at a time when the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has estimated the unemployment rate among the population 15 years and older at 13.4 per cent.

The GSS also noted from its findings that 1.5 million people, out of the 11.5 million economically active population, were unemployed.

To ensure its success, the YouStart was successfully piloted in the northern sector of the country, specifically in Greater Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, while in the southern sector, it was piloted in Greater Accra, the country’s capital.

The Daily Graphic is excited about the programme because of what it is likely to do for the youth, particularly those who come out of school determined to be their own bosses.

As mentioned, the initiative is expected to be a vehicle for supporting young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training, technical skills and mentoring to enable them to launch and operate their own businesses.

We are also happy to know that the government did not establish any new body to see to the implementation of this laudable programme but has entrusted it to the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) and the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) to implement.

The GEA, in particular, has proved to be a force to reckon with following its handling of funds released by the government to specifically support small businesses whose operations suffered from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, we trust that it will be able to use its experience to ensure that the beneficiaries of funds under the YouStart do not abuse them but channel them into profitable ventures that will allow them to help achieve the intended purpose.

The disbursement of the COVID-19 relief funds was apolitical. The applications, as far as we are aware, were taken through rigorous and fair processes, which ensured that deserving people accessed the funds.

The testimonies since then have been remarkable, an indication that when we put our minds and thoughts together and ensure that whatever programmes and initiatives the government comes up with are managed in a fair and transparent manner, we as a people will be the ones to smile in the long run.

YouStart is a phenomenal initiative which cannot happen without our buy-in and fullest support and, therefore, the Daily Graphic would want to prevail on all and sundry to ensure that it succeeds.

We cry about unemployment in the country and its potential as a national security risk; therefore, once a laudable initiative has been put in place to turn the situation around for our own good, under no circumstance should we do anything to undermine its success.

There are a myriad of similar well-intended initiatives that have succeeded and some that have failed. However, we need not throw our hands in the air in despair but push to make this succeed.

It could be one’s child, relative or friend who will benefit, if not one himself or herself. Therefore, the programme should not be tagged as a political initiative to discourage some from leveraging its potential benefits.

Again, we wish to prevail on the government to put in place mechanisms that will allow us, as Ghanaians, to patronise any services or products that these potential entrepreneurs will produce. This is necessary because without a market, these efforts will be in vain.

YouStart will succeed and we are confident about that. We pray that everybody will play his or her role as we open our minds and hearts to it.