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Local solution
30 young people already in informal business will upgrade their vocational skills through training by Pinasol and its partners in the to-be established Resource and Skills Training Centre. In addition, in the first year we are aiming to train an additional 100 unemployed youth in new vocational skills.
The project is much needed because youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges that Ghana faces. It pushes youth to unprotected irregular employment, migration to the south of Ghana or to Europe or even crime. Moreover, youth unemployment is recognised as the first cause of extremism radicalisation in a recent study carried out by the UN.
One of the root causes for youth unemployment is the skills gap they face to start a job, or lacking innovation skills once already in business. And there are currently no special skills centres for the informal sector skills gap upgrade, nor the certification of it.
It is exactly the gap that Pinasol aims to bridge. In the first year of the Resource and Skills Training Centre in Effiduase, young people will upgrade their skills in a vocation they are already practising, and unemployed youth will be trained in short vocational courses. Skills taught include (solar) electronics, tiling, fixing of bones in fabrics, beads making, mushroom production, bio-digester making, and ICT-related skills. Participants will come from the four districts surrounding the training centre, and via the trade associations of Dressmakers, Hairdressers, Beauticians, and Mechanics.
Courses are developed and conducted by Pinasol and its partners from various trade associations.
Pinasol is an expert on the topic with an extensive expertise on organising quality vocational training and internships for young people, together with training partners. With earlier support of iMPACT direct, Pinasol successfully supported 25 young people towards a job or internship.
Moreover, Pinasol formally works together with the Ghana Government TVET Voucher Project to contribute to bridging the skills gap among informal sector entrepreneurs.
Lives improved30 young people working as entrepreneurs in the informal sector have upgraded their skills and have become more efficient in their work. It means that they can expand their business or find better paid employment. We expect them to have gained a sufficient income within a year.
In addition, 100 youth are trained in new vocational skills, with the expectation that they have more opportunities to find a job or start a business. At least 20 of them will find a job or start a business within one year.
Approximately, 250 family members will benefit from an increased income that will help them to access basic needs like food, medical aid, education and improved housing.
Community impactThe entire community will benefit from the Skills and Resource Centre that will also include a Training room and event space, Job Placement Centre and a Community Library. It enables the sustainability of the project, because it offers continuous training and support to young people beyond the project for free. And it will support Pinasol to sustainably continue their important work for the community, with the income generation from renting out office and event spaces to non-community-members or starting non-profit organisations without an office.
BudgetThe budget for the following activities is €10,522 The donation will be used to:
- Construct a Resource and Skills Training Centre including a Training room and event space, Job Placement Centre and a Community Library.
- Furnish the Centre.
- 5% to iMPACT direct for facilitating direct donations to local solutions (covering our costs for the website, financial costs of direct donations, and basic costs to support NGOs in promotion and fundraising.)
Costs are a bit more than €20,000, of which iMPACT direct together with Pinasol are raising 50%. The other 50% is raised locally by director Solomon Asiamah.
Pinasol will contribute to the project with in-kind support in project design, coordination and implementation and certification, which includes:
- Setting up a job placement centre for internships or Workplace Experience Learning (WEL).
- Organising capacity building programmes for trade associations.
- In addition:
- Two plots of land were donated for the centre by the chief of Effiduase.
- Experts from the partnering trade associations conduct seminars and training workshops, providing young people with practical skills.
Project Details
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Project Proposal
Pinasol
Project in Pictures
