Ofoase-Kokoben (Ash), Feb 16, GNA - Dr (Mrs) Frances Owusu-Daaku, the National President of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), has expressed concern about unemployment among the youth and said the situation has made them vulnerable.

She therefore appealed to them to acquire vocational skills and other leadership roles to enable them play positive role in the socio-economic development of the country.

Dr Owusu-Daaku was speaking at the opening of a three-day first Zonal Congress of the Youth Action Movement (YAM) of the PPAG at Ofoase-Kokoben in the Amansie East District on Thursday. The congress, being attended by 25 delegates, is under the theme, "Developing the Youth through Training".

The topics to be treated also include governance, report writing, budgeting and leadership skills. She said the recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) report to the effect that the youth represented a group with serious vulnerabilities and painted a bizarre picture for the nation's future development.

Dr Owusu-Daaku, who is a lecturer at the Department of Clinical and Social Pharmacy of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said unemployment among the youth causes idleness, frustration that at times make them resort to illegal activities which affected their lives.

She commended the government for its National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) and hoped most youth would benefit from the programme to make them productive.

Mrs Elsie Ayeh, Middle Zone Manager of the PPAG, said the focus of the association was to involve the youth in its activities and programmes to enable them assume leadership roles in the future. 16 Feb 07