The National Service Personnel Association (NASPA), Nadowli-Kaleo District, has officially launched a Skills Training Initiative to equip national service personnel with practical skills, entrepreneurship opportunities and employment pathways as part of efforts to address graduate unemployment in the district.
The programme, held at the Nadowli-Kaleo District Assembly Hall, was organized under the theme: “From Service to Enterprise: Equipping Personnel with Skills for Employment, Innovation and Self-Reliance.”
The launch brought together representatives of government institutions, financial institutions, the National Service Authority, the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders to discuss sustainable solutions to youth unemployment.
Delivering the welcome address, NASPA District President Konnyuuri Philip said the Executive Committee’s foremost responsibility is to ensure that national service personnel complete their service with practical skills capable of creating sustainable livelihoods.
He explained that the initiative will train personnel in soap making, TV satellite installation, financial management and entrepreneurship, while also exposing them to scholarship opportunities and business development.
“Our objective is not simply to organise training programmes. Our objective is to build capacity, create opportunities and transform potential into productivity,” Philip said.
He noted that NASPA has already engaged several institutions including the National Health Insurance Authority, National Identification Authority, Ghana Education Service and Ghana Health Service to build partnerships that will create employment and development opportunities for young graduates.
Philip also announced plans for a NASPA Farm Initiative, leadership development programmes, drug abuse awareness campaigns, clean-up exercises and inter district sports activities during the association’s tenure.
The keynote speaker, Mr. Nicholas Ziemah, challenged participants to shift their mindset from waiting for jobs to creating value through innovation and enterprise.
He said the era where academic certificates alone guaranteed employment is over, urging graduates to develop practical competencies that solve real life problems.
“The question should no longer be, ‘Who will employ me?’ The question is, ‘What problem can I solve?’” Mr. Ziemah told the gathering.
He described the national service year as a launchpad rather than a waiting period, encouraging personnel to use the opportunity to acquire skills that can lead to self-employment and eventually create jobs for others.
Mr. Ziemah further urged young people to embrace entrepreneurship and modern agriculture, stressing that success depends on creating value rather than accumulating certificates alone.
Representing the Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo, Pascal Gamba reaffirmed Hon. Anthony Mwinkaara Sumah’s commitment to skills development and youth empowerment across the constituency.
“The MP for Nadowli-Kaleo is deeply passionate about skills development in the constituency. Indeed, he was among the first MPs to procure machines, equipment and tools to support skills training and empower our people across the constituency,” Pascal Gamba stated.
He encouraged national service personnel to take the training seriously and make practical skills a foundation for economic independence.
The NASPA Skills Training Initiative is expected to provide young graduates with practical knowledge, professional networks and entrepreneurial opportunities, while strengthening collaboration between public institutions and the private sector in addressing unemployment in the Nadowli-Kaleo District.
