Bolgatanga, Jan 15, GNA- The Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) has trained 527 youth in various trade vocations in the Upper East Region.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Bolgatanga, during a graduation ceremony, the Regional Coordinator of the Programme, Mr Robert Agaab said out of the 527 trained, 115 were trained in mobile phone repairs, 128 in beauty care service, 126 in hair dressing, 45 in catering services, 45 in barbering services and 68 in rural transport service.

Mr Agaab explained that LESDEP, which was partnering with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, apart from training to the youth, also ensures that they were helped with the necessary logistics after training to commence their work

“The 572 youth, who have been trained in the various vocations will be provided with tools and other basic logistics and also be monitored constantly to ensure that they are well established”.

He noted that LESDEP was one of the major tools that could be used to curb the spate of rural-urban migration in the Region and urged the beneficiaries to work hard in their chosen profession.

The Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Edward Ayagle, commended the beneficiaries for being part of the training modules and said government cannot employ everyone into the formal sector and so was initiating these programmes, including the National Youth Employment Programme among others, to cater for everybody.

“The Non-formal sector is more beneficial than the formal sector, which is choked and there is no much profit in that sector. You stand to maximize your profits if you attach more attention to where you have found yourselves”, the MCE stressed.

The Regional Director of the National Boards for Small Scale Industry, Mr Eric Affram challenged the beneficiaries to set standards for themselves and to ensure that they achieve them within 5 to 10 years.

He said through this, they could monitor their business activities and improve upon it and also employ others. He entreated them to cultivate the habit of saving.