President Mahama Launches National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP).
President John Dramani Mahama has on Wednesday April 30, 2025, launched the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP).
The programme which is aimed at training 10,000 young people across all the districts in the country, also include payment of a monthly stipend to support participants.
The programme was designed to provide practical skills to young people, especially those struggling to find work or continue their education.
Addressing the gathering, President Mahama indicated that his government in the 2025 budget allocated GH¢300 million for the programme.
He said the GH¢300 million earmarked for the programme would cover both the cost of training and the monthly stipends. Mr. Mahama emphasized that this will not be like other programs where the government rushes to launch without securing funding.
“This is not going to be like some programmes where the government rushes and starts it, and there are no resources to fund it,” he said.
“With this one, the Minister of Finance has allocated 300 million Ghana cedis for 2025 to start the programme.”
He said the rollout of the National Apprenticeship Program marks a key step in delivering on his pledge to create 1 million jobs for young people in agriculture, manufacturing, ICT, and vocational skills.
The president stated that the recent data from the Ghana Statistical Service, which shows that youth unemployment stands at 12.6 per cent, while about 29 per cent of young people are not in education, employment or training.
“These figures are not just statistics. They represent real-life experiences, “we will not stand by while our young people are denied the opportunities they deserve to thrive.”
He said Phase one of the programme, will enroll 10,000 apprentices from all the districts of Ghana. The President stated,“from 2026, we plan to increase the number to 100,000 youth trained annually.”
He explained that the programme is open to all, including persons with little or no formal education.
“Even if you have little formal education, you still qualify,” he said. “You’ll be taught in the language you understand.”
Training will be offered in both short- and long-term formats. The short courses will last between two and four months, while the longer ones will run for 12 to 18 months, depending on the chosen trade and the applicant’s level of experience.
Application forms will be available from May 2025 through the National Youth Authority (NYA) portal.
Prospective applicants can also visit any metropolitan, municipal, or district assembly for assistance, especially those who are not familiar with online processes.
The programme will be managed by the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment in partnership with the NYA, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness, Civil Society groups, and local government authorities.
The programme is expected to train over 500,000 young people within the next five years. It is projected that 60 per cent of trainees will secure employment or become self-employed, with beneficiaries likely to see an average income increase of about 40 per cent.
Story By: Alhassan Yakubu |www.diamondfmonline.com |Ghana.
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