The Ghana Library Authority, GhLA, in partnership with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, has commissioned 10 Youth Engagement Centers (YECs) across eight regions in the country.
Speaking at the commissioning in Accra, the Executive Director, Mr. Hayford Siaw said the Youth Engagement Centers are to champion the course of connecting young Ghanaians to the three imperative knowledge resources that will revamp their well-being.
“Connecting youths to knowledge resources is divided into three stages: aesthetic library, a room full of books where students come to read and access information, mobile library service, which involves vans with resources that move from one community to the next, and technology platforms where all educational materials are uploaded.”
This is what our Youth Engagement Centers have incorporated.” he said.
According to him, the YECs initiative is to support at least ten thousand young Ghanaians from 14 to 24 years who possess digital, entrepreneurial and advocacy skills at specially redesigned sections of public libraries in the country.
He disclosed that the YECs initiative is going to be responsive to the needs of young people by organising workshops, mentorship programmes, peer learning sessions to help curb youth employment challenges in the country.
“As a public library we need to be responsive to the needs of the youths. We know it’s difficult to find a job in this country, so the YECs initiative is to create job opportunities so that youths can apply for them.” We will also organize workshops such as interviewing workshops to assist these young people with various skills, “he said.
He also stated that the various centers have trained coordinators who will assist users with interview preparation workshops and simulations, Curriculum Vitae (CV) writing skills, and Digital skills such as computer and internet access.
According to Fiachra McAsey, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Ghana, their partnership with GhLA is based on the government’s vision to prepare the youth for the future of work by providing them with education and skills.
“As UNICEF works on finalising its Country Programme with the government of Ghana for 2023-2027. It will prioritise the empowerment and engagement of the youth through innovative and scalable initiatives in collaboration with other stakeholders,” he said.
The Youth Engagement Centers are located at the Accra Central Library, Tema Branch Library, Ashanti Library, Cape Coast Library, Effutu Municipal Library, Secondi Library, Koforidua Library, Wa Library, and Bolgatanga Library.