Accra: The Ministry for Youth Development and Empowerment (MYDE) has signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with two institutions to empower the Ghanaian young people with the skills, values, and opportunities they need to succeed in life. The institutions are the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Design and Technology Institute (DTI). The event, which took place at the MYDE conference room in Accra on Tuesday, was on the theme 'Rebuilding Values, Inspiring Patriotism: Empowering the Youth in the Digital Age.'
According to Ghana News Agency, this initiative followed earlier engagements between the MYDE, CCG, and DTI at the formation of the Ministry, addressing challenges faced by the youth such as limited mobility and opportunities in the labor market, limited access to information, technology, and start-up support, skills mismatch, and youth health and well-being. Mr. George Opare-Addo, the Minister for Youth Development, signed on behalf of the Government, while Rev. Dr. Cyril Fayose, General Secretary/Chairman, signed on behalf of CCG, and Ms. Constance Elizabeth Swaniker represented DTI.
The Minister emphasized that despite these challenges, the government recognizes the youth as the greatest national asset, and the signing of the MoUs reflects a shared commitment. He highlighted that investing in youth development is both a social responsibility and an economic imperative. The Minister expressed that partnerships like this are essential for achieving the vision of creating a skilled, innovative, productive, and resilient youth population.
The Minister commended the CCG's significant role in promoting national development, peace, social justice, and moral leadership. He noted that through its extensive network across the country, the Council has consistently supported initiatives that strengthen families, promote responsible citizenship, and support the holistic development of young people.
With the signing of the MoUs, the Ministry plans to leverage the Council's presence across Ghana to implement programs such as awareness campaigns in schools, churches, and communities. The initiatives also include training peer educators, teachers, clergy, youth workers, and community volunteers, as well as establishing and strengthening school clubs, youth clubs, and community support groups.
The Ministry, as part of the MoU, will collaborate with DTI to advance relevant national programs and initiatives that contribute to youth development and empowerment. This includes improving access to quality, industry-aligned skills training for Ghanaian youth, supporting the integration of DTI training and internship modules into national youth development, and employment programs focusing on soft skills, internships, employability, and life skills development.
The Minister urged all partners to remain committed to translating the agreement into tangible programs and measurable outcomes that would positively impact the lives of young people across the country. He expressed gratitude to the Christian Council of Ghana and the Design and Technology Institute for their vision and commitment to collaborating with the Ministry, expressing confidence in building a stronger foundation for youth empowerment and national development.
Rev. Dr. Fayose assured the Ministry of the Council's full cooperation in implementing the partnership's objectives over the next five years. He emphasized leveraging digital technology to promote ethical leadership and a positive mindset transformation, aiming to produce not just digitally connected young people but digitally responsible citizens. He called for harnessing Ghana's demographic dividend through youth-centered policies, viewing the large youth population as an economic asset, and advocating for coordinated investment in entrepreneurship, agribusiness, green industries, innovation, and skills development while strengthening collaboration among government entities, the private sector, faith-based organizations, and development partners.