Accra, June 5, GNA - A nine-member Technical Committee set up to develop a proposal for tackling "On The Job Training" (OJT) and to boost youth employment in the country on Monday presented its report to the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu. The committee was tasked to provide a comprehensive review of the current situation of OJT, including proposals of strategy and timetable for implementation, incentive and grant schemes, as well as funding sources for the implementation of the programme.

The review of the existing environment for OJT covered training institutions such as the Universities, Polytechnics and National Vocational Training Institutes including traditional apprenticeships. Mr Kingsly Adu, chairman of the committee, said key challenges affecting the sustenance of the programme were lack of funding and logistics, reluctance of employers to participate in the programme due to lack of incentives and large numbers of students requiring OJT relative to the available placements in industry.

He said there was the need to design a structured and comprehensive programme that would be demand-driven, properly managed and support by all stakeholders.

"It is also highly imperative to strengthen industry and institutional partnership in the development of the OJT schemes and curriculum that is relevant for industry needs," he added. The committee proposed that the programme should be implemented in two phases - a three-year pilot phase beginning in the third quarter of 2006 at a total investment cost of 203.9 billion cedis and later a roll-out phase after the pilot phase had been evaluated. Mr Adu said the committee advocated the constitution of an advisory board with a secretariat in Accra to supervise and coordinate all activities toward monitoring and control to ensure its effective and efficient implementation.

He therefore called for an appropriate and adequate motivation, tax incentives and grant schemes for participants in both the formal and informal sectors to entice them to sign onto the programme to ensure its sustainability.

Mr Baah-Wiredu said one of the visions of the government in the 2006 budget was to create jobs for the vibrant youth by intensifying efforts towards investing in jobs for the youth and fresh graduates. He said although Government would lose some revenue, it was its hope that the money would reflect in the pockets of those who would be employed.

The Minister said it was government's policy to ensure that whatever was provided in the budget should be fully implemented to achieve results.

"As we are implementing the 2006 budget, we also look at its weaknesses and strengths and at the same time we take advice from corporate bodies and individuals and use them as input for the 2007 budget," he added.

Professor Kwesi Andam, Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, said the programme, if reintroduced, would open available jobs for students, as they would have acquired practical knowledge in addition to theory while on the job training.

He said currently, only students from the Medical Schools had the opportunity to go through on the job training thus reducing standards in most of the professional institutions.