The “Invest For Jobs” is supporting the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Ghana with more than one million Euros to create jobs and provide employable skills to the youth.

The objective of the support was to train 2000 individuals and connect 70 per cent of them with local industries by the end of 2022.

Under the Don Bosco cooperation with Invest for Jobs, the project would provide comprehensive advice and intensive hands-on training to empower the youth with market-oriented skills.

Madam Dana Krieger, the Acting Component Leader Cluster Focus of the Special Initiative at GIZ Ghana, speaking at the Don Bosco Kick-off Job Fair, 2021 said the project would also help to upscale the skills of older workers.

The job fair was on the theme: “Youth Employment Bridging the Industry-Education Skills Gap.”

The job fair facilitated discussions between private sector and industry players on how training institutions could equip the youth with employable skills that met industry needs.

She said Invest for Jobs was the brand of the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH among others.

“Under this cooperation, Don Bosco Tech offers short-term trainings and placement services in the areas of automobile electrical & electronics, hospitality, and logistics and warehousing,” she added.

She said the ‘Invest for Jobs” was an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

She said “Invest for Jobs’ and Don Bosco cooperation since inception, had successfully trained 205 young men and women, almost 60 per cent of this number have been placed in companies for attachment.

“Some of them are already integrating very well, for 23 of them, their host companies intend to keep them on board,” Madam Krieger explained.

She said “Invest for Jobs’ and Don Bosco cooperation since inception, has successfully trained 205 young men and women, almost 60 per cent of this number have been placed in companies for attachment.

“Some of them are already integrating very well, for 23 of them, their host companies intend to keep them on board,” Madam Krieger explained.

Reverend Fr. Mark Eshun, Principal of Don Bosco Technical Institute, said, “we have a responsibility as training institutions to find out what industry needs so we can better equip our youth with skills that meet such requirements, and that is one critical function of the Institute.”

He said youth Unemployment was a big issue in sub-Sahara Africa, and Ghana had its fair share.

Rev. Fr. Eshun said skills development and related employability were key to the industrial transformation agenda of many developed countries.

He said the informal sector hosts a range of economically active population, who usually gain their skills through traditional apprenticeship within the traditional vocational training system; a system that ensures employment for over 90 per cent of the Ghanaian workforce.

“The role of Don Bosco to this transformation agenda cannot be over emphasized,” he added.

Rev. Fr. Eshun said skills development and related employability were key to the industrial transformation agenda of many developed countries.

He said the informal sector hosts a range of economically active population, who usually gain their skills through traditional apprenticeship within the traditional vocational training system; a system that ensures employment for over 90 per cent of the Ghanaian workforce.

“Don Bosco offer training to everyone especially the local underprivileged youths in skills acquisition which prepares them straight away for the job market,” he said.