Govt to Launch Domestic Care Economy Programme to Create 100,000 Jobs
By Maame Efua Kwaduah
The government is set to launch a Domestic Care Economy Programme next year, with the initiative expected to create nearly 100,000 jobs for young people as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment.
Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, said the programme would form part of a broader package of interventions focused on equipping young people with skills, promoting entrepreneurship and creating decent and sustainable employment opportunities.
Speaking on Ghana’s unemployment situation, Mr Opare-Addo acknowledged that although the overall unemployment rate has declined, youth unemployment remains a concern due to the country’s growing youth population.
He explained that the youth population, defined as people between 15 and 35 years, continues to expand as more young people enter the labour market, increasing pressure on available jobs.
The Minister expressed confidence that ongoing interventions would help absorb more young people into productive employment.
He cited the National Apprenticeship Programme, Youth Employment Authority initiatives and other youth-focused programmes as key measures being implemented to provide young people with practical skills and facilitate their transition into the job market.
Mr Opare-Addo also mentioned the SEED programme, which is being rolled out across tertiary institutions to support young people with viable business ideas and help transform them into sustainable enterprises.
He said broader economic initiatives, including the Big Push and investments in productive sectors, were also expected to create additional employment opportunities.
According to the Minister, the Domestic Care Economy Programme would be one of the major youth-focused initiatives next year.
“Next year, under the YA, we will be launching a domestic care economy. And that alone is supposed to employ close to 100,000 young people,” he said.
Mr Opare-Addo expressed confidence that the combined impact of these interventions would significantly reduce youth unemployment over the government’s four-year mandate.
On the government’s manifesto promises to young people, he acknowledged that not all commitments had been fulfilled, describing implementation as a work in progress.
He cited the launch of the No Fees Stress policy, the One Million Coders Programme, Adwumawura and the National Apprenticeship Programme as some of the commitments made within the administration’s first 100 days that have since been launched and are being implemented.
He said other manifesto programmes were also at various stages of implementation, while the creation of the Ministry of Youth Development had fulfilled another key commitment to young people.
Mr Opare-Addo assured the youth that the government remained committed to delivering on its promises before the end of its four-year term.
“By the time His Excellency is done with his four years, every single promise he made to the young people of this country would have been fulfilled,” he said.
