Some 249 youth in the Gomoa West District have graduated from entrepreneurial training offered by the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA).

They received sewing machines, hair-dryers, washing basins, trolleys and rollers as set-up equipment.

The graduates had undergone skills training in dressmaking and hair-dressing offered by GYEEDA in collaboration with Asongtaba Cottage Industry as a measure to reduce youth unemployment in the country.

Addressing the graduation ceremony, Mr Francis Kojo Arthur, the Member of Parliament for the area, urged the graduates to use the government’s gesture to improve their lots and stop seeking white-collar jobs which were not in existence.

Mr Arthur said partnership between the government and Asongtaba Cottage Industry in getting the youth to acquire skills was the policy of the government to encourage private partnership in the development of the youth.

He urged them to improve upon the training they had received to make them experts in dressmaking and hair-dressing.

Mr Alex Gyimah, Gomoa West District Coordinator of GYEEDA, said the government in collaboration with the Asongtaba Cottage Industry had provided a eight-week intensive training under expert dressmakers and hair-dressers and provided the set-up equipment free of charge to the trainees.

He urged them to ensure that they took good care of the equipment to ensure that they provided a decent living for themselves, spouses and children.

Mr Kofi Enin, Gomoa West District Project Assistant for Asongtaba Cottage Industry, said the industry had decided to construct kiosks for the trainees on hire-purchase basis.

Nana Edu Effrim, Apaahen who chaired the function, advised the trainees to give due respect to their trainers to enable them to continue helping them in times of need.