Apam, Nov 16, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, has assured the youth that the decision of the government to invest in them is on course.

She said the government in collaboration with its development partners had introduced a number of interventions to train the youth in the acquisition of skills to enable them to fit into the job market. The acquisition of skills, she said, would prevent them (the youth) from engaging in unacceptable means such as "sakawa", prostitution and early marriage to earn a living.

The Regional Minister's assurance was contained in a speech, delivered by Mr. Theophilus Aidoo-Mensah, Gomoa West District Chief Executive, at the graduation of some members of the Apam branch of the cooperative Tailors and Dressmakers Association, at Apam. "The recent Decent Work Programme, which the International Labour Organisation (ILO) inaugurated at Apam, is one of the interventions to support the youth in the training and job creation," Mrs Benyiwa-Doe pointed out.

She said the government had put in place measures of micro financing to provide start-up capital for the trainees to establish their businesses after graduation. The Minister was happy that the graduates had embraced the cooperative concept and said it would facilitate accessing of credit facilities to promote their businesses. She advised the youth to rally behind the government and exercise patience for it to implement the programmes it had initiated for them in its manifesto.

Mrs. Benyiwa-Doe announced that the perennial water problem facing Apam, Mumford and Dago would soon be a thing of the past as new pipe lines had been provided to improve water delivery system to the communities. She said work on the Mumford-Afransi road would soon start as the award of contract for its execution is in progress. Mr. Jones Boadi Daapah Fokuo, District Cooperative Officer, advised the association to sell the cooperative ideas to their friends and relatives who had not embraced the concept. He said the concept brings faster development and unity than going in unison.