The economic potential of the industrial town of Sekondi-Takoradi and its surrounding districts like Ahanta West Municipality lies in the existing infrastructure and human capacity. The metropolis is one of the most industrialised in the country, with booming oil industry. However, youth and women rarely benefit from the opportunities because they lack the requested employability or entrepreneurial skills. This has led to increased unemployment and persistent youths migrating through the Sahara Desert to European countries for greener pastures.

The economic potential of the industrial town of Sekondi-Takoradi and its surrounding districts like Ahanta West Municipality lies in the existing infrastructure and human capacity. The metropolis is one of the most industrialised in the country, with booming oil industry. However, youth and women rarely benefit from the opportunities because they lack the requested employability or entrepreneurial skills. This has led to increased unemployment and persistent youths migrating through the Sahara Desert to European countries for greener pastures.

Cerath will train and support 500 youths, women and returnee migrants on green entrepreneurship and employability. Within 6 months post-training, they will have sustainable jobs or create self-employment.
The number of beneficiaries targeted is 500 persons. Post-training 300 will have access to internship opportunities and on-the-job training. Around 45% of the 300 will have sustainable jobs or create self-employment in the green sector.
Moreover, young green professionals will support sustainable and climate-resilient local economies, contribute to the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis development, and address irregular migration’s root causes.

Cerath will use the donations for:

• Allowances to cover the trainees’ basic needs during training, internships and on-the-job coaching to prevent dropout.
• Learning tours, workshops and networking activities for beneficiaries.
• Establishing a green fund (called “EGSOP-Fund”) for the 10 winners among trainees who will pitch their green business plan. The winners will receive part of the fund as a starting capital, as especially green entrepreneurs lack grant opportunities.

This requires a budget of GHS 50,000 (or €7,209).

The training on employability and entrepreneurship to 500 youths, women and/or returnee migrants in the Ahanta West Municipality and the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis is sponsored by the European Union through the SNV Netherlands in Ghana. The training adopts a participatory and experiential approach which stimulates commitment and active participation of trainees. Besides, trainees are also linked to internships and job placement, or receive support in developing self-employment opportunities. The project was designed to be demand-driven incorporating the specific needs of the beneficiaries.

The economic potential of the industrial town of Sekondi-Takoradi and its surrounding districts like Ahanta West Municipality lies in the existing infrastructure and human capacity. The metropolis is one of the most industrialised in the country, with booming oil industry.

However, youth and women rarely benefit from the opportunities because they lack the requested employability or entrepreneurial skills. This has led to increased unemployment and persistent youths migrating through the Sahara Desert to European countries for greener pastures.

Although donations to the Green Entrepreneurs’ project did not met the target amount, Cerath made it work, and could do some extras in a project they already run for 200 trainees – youth, women and returnee migrants – who joined one or more of the following activities:

• 8 basic and advanced trainings for entrepreneurship, incl. Skills, Business Model Canvas and Financial Management.
• 8 basic and advanced trainings for employability, incl. CV writing, Interview Skills, and Basic Skills
• 1 learning workshops on green businesses
• 150 people placed for internship for trainees in the employability trajectory
• and on-the-job training in the entrepreneurship trajectory
• 13 interns received stipends

• The post-training assessments have indicated that 75 of beneficiaries of the project have started their green businesses in the areas of soap making, beadmaking, climate-smart agri-businesses, aquaculture, construction and marketing of improved cooking and fish smoking stoves, among others.
• And 25 of those in the employability trajectory have also been employed in various green businesses including plastic recycling companies, solar panel installation firms, waste to energy companies, agri-business firms, and Non-Governmental Organizations.

Follow up

The project will continue to collaborate with local state agencies such as the District Resource Centres, the National Youth Employment Agency, and the District Labour Office in creating awareness for the project, interviewing, and registering of prospective recipients. The project continues to seek funds from donors to provide stipends and transport allowances for beneficiaries in the remotest parts of the project area. These partnerships and actions from the identified stakeholders will enable the project to improve the lives of 500 youths, women, and returnee migrants.
The project expects to train at least 500 beneficiaries by the end of the project period and facilitate internship and on-the-job training opportunities for about 70% of the beneficiaries.